JANUARY, 1946
25 CENTS
MANUAL WILL HELP YOU
ENOW SOUTHWEST PLANTS
One of the most useful and best illus-
trated works on Southwestern plantlife was
published for distribution in August,
1945, by University of Arizona, Tucson.
A MANUAL OF SOUTHWESTERN
DESERT TREES AND SHRUBS, by Ly-
man Benson and Robert A. Darrow and
collaborators, continues the university's
series of flora of Arizona and the South-
west. The first publication of the E>roup is
THE CACTI OF ARIZONA.
This is a classification and description
of trees and shrubs roughly from Palm
Springs, California, to El Paso, Texas —
from what the authors call the creosote-
desert to desert-grasslands, embracing a
wide variety of growth. More specifically
the area includes the Mojave and Colorado
deserts of California ; southern Nevada in-
cluding portions of Nye and Lincoln coun-
ties and all but the higher mountains of
Clark county; in Arizona the lowest level
of Grand Canyon and all the area west
and south of the Mogollon Rim and White
mountains; in New Mexico the territory
from Albuquerque south, and west of the
White and Sacramento mountains, and
in Texas the El Paso and Big Bend country.
Lest anyone think the portion of plant-
life included here is not much on the
"flowering'! side, one glance through the
colored plates or at the table of contents
would convince him otherwise. For in the
desert many of the most brilliant flowers
are found on the more shrubby plants, as
well as on the trees. And unlike the ephem-
eral annuals which are seen for a com-
paratively short period, these are found
blooming over much of the year. Here at
random are a few of the "shrubs and trees"
treated — -so just see if they do not include
some of your favorite desert "flowers."
Yuccas (about 10 of them), Nolina,
Agaves, Cliffroses, Apache Plume, Red-
bud, Palo Verde, Smoke tree, Ocotillo,
Pentstemon, Desert Willow (Chilopsis),
many of the Sunflowers and Asters. And
for the true desert rat there are the Salt
Bush, Desert Holly, Wild Apricot, Cats-
claw, Mesquites and Palo Verdes, Iron-
wood, Creosote, Crucifixion Thorn, Ele-
phant Tree, Washingtonia palm, Tama-
risk, Burrow weed and Rabbit Brush.
Introduction contains a fine discussion
of the characteristics of desert vegetation,
the distinctive appearance of the various
Southwestern desert regions, flower struc-
ture and a guide for using the botantical
key to identify plants.
There are 22 photos in full color, over
80 black and white photos, 43 plates of
line drawings. One of the best features is
the series of 110 geographical distribution
maps, one color showing location of the
main species through the Southwest states.
Appendix, index, paper bound, 41 1 pages.
$3.00.
"I might have become a millionaire, I chose to become a tramp."
— JOHN MUIR
Son of the Wilderness
By LINNIE MARSH WOLFE
A biography that is a living portrait of a man who combined in
one lifetime the work of a great naturalist, mechanical genius, moun-
taineer, glaciologist and apostle of conversation.
This is a book for the lover of the outdoors because it is the story
of one of America's greatest outdoor men. John Muir did not aspire
to fame, but it came to him nevertheless because he lived close to
Nature — and Nature develops the best in men.
$3.50 Postpaid to You
DESERT CRAFTS SHOP . . . El Centre California
"PINCUSHION" GENUS
COMES INTO ITS OWN
To the one whose knowledge of the
Mammillarias is confined to a little "pin-
cushion" cactus carefully nourished in a
window box, Dr. Robert T. Craig's book,
THE MAMMILLARIA HANDBOOK
will be a revelation, and to the collector
it will be a welcome addition to cactus lit-
erature. For to describe or name all thc
known Mammillarias requires almost 400
pages of a 7xl0!/j book! It is illustrated
with 300 excellent photographs.
The author, who lives in Baldwin Park,
California, first became acquainted with
this genus of the cactus as a child in the
prairie country of western Kansas, when
he was warned "not to touch'' the pin-
cushion cactus but just to "look at the
pretty flowers." Later when he became fa-
miliar with their beauty on the rocky hills
of southern New Mexico and the rugged
mountain sides of Guatemala, his interest
became deeper, finally culminating in the
present impressive monograph.
Although Dr. Craig has been able to
claim cactus collecting only as an avoca-
tion, being a dentist by profession, he has
spent much time the past 16 years in re-
search of the literature, field collections
and correlation of all available data on this
genus. His explorations through the
Southwest states and into Sonora and other
states of Mexico have brought adventures
as well as a rich collection and much val-
uable original data. Of the result, Paul C
Standley, Chicago Natural History Mus-
eum, says, "Here in a single volume and
in a single series is presented the most
comprehensive account that ever has been
attempted on a single group of cacti. Dr.
Craig's splendid account of the Mammil-
larias is an admirable example of what can
and should be done for all groups of cacti."
Published by Abbey Garden Press, Pas-
adena, ls>45. Bibliography, index. Cloth
bound, coated pre-war paper. $7.50.
• • •
BOOK BRIEFS . . .
One of the recent biographies of Mark
Twain is that written by DeLancey Fer-
guson and published by Bobbs- Merrill
company, Indianapolis. Mark Twain: Man
and Legend, while a serious and scholarly
biography, is full of flavorful anecdotes
and colorful incidents.
■ * •
In 19 pages Edwin F. Walker has writ-
ten an introduction to the Indians of the
United States, Americas Indian Back-
ground. Southwest Museum bulletin No.
18. It is accompanied by a 20x26 inch
folding map showing distribution of na-
tive tribes of North America. Price 30
cents.
2
THE DESERT MAGAZINE
DESERT
• "A tltuiled account of the means
plants have developed for seed dispersal
would read like the records of some sup-
ernal Patent Office." says Jerry Lauder-
milk. His next story for DESERT, al-
though sounding nothing like the records
of a patent office, reveals some of the
ingenious and devious ways which have
been developed in the world of nature
to perpetuate the species. The snares and
barbs and stratagems which Jerry de-
scribes make such plants as the Devil's
Claw and Krameria seem possessed of a
conscious striving for immortality.
• Next month you will learn about the
man whose work shaped the destiny of
Coachella Valley, when Roy W. Nixon,
of the government experimental date gar-
den at lndio, introduces Bernard G. John-
son, who first envisioned this valley as
a date growing center. His enthusiasm for
dates was so great and his dealings with
natives of Algeria and other Old World
date regions so successful that he was
known as the American Arah. And his
personality was no less interesting than
his importance to the American date in-
dustry was significant.
• Evonne Henderson, who has been di-
recting the circulation department of
Desert Magazine since her brother Rand,
enlisted in the marines early in 1942,
on November 4 was married to Charles
A. Riddel 1 of the U.S. Marines, at Yuma,
Arizona. Corporal Riddell and the bride's
hioiher were buddies in the service be-
fore Rand's death in action at Saipan
July 7, 1944. After a brief honeymoon
Riddell left for North Carolina where
he will be on duty pending his discharge.
Evonne will remain at her post in the
Desert Magazine office until after the
holidays.
DESERT CALENDAR
Jan. 18-19 — Annual convention New
Mexico Press association, Albuquer-
que.
Jan. 19-20 — First Gem show, San Jose
Lapidary society, San Jose, Calif.
Jan. 24-26 — Minerals and Production
meeting of Western mining indus-
try, Shirley-Savoy hotel, Denver,
Colorado.
Jan. 28-Feb. 28 — International Nature
Photography exhibit, Chicago Na-
tural History museum, including
plant life, animal life, geology.
Feb. 23-24 — Two ski events at Genoa,
Nevada: "Snowshoe" Thomson
Memorial cross country ski races;
Nevada-California state jumping
championship.
Feb. 28-Mar. 2— International Desert
Cavalcade, pageant and fiesta, Cal-
exico, California.
Circulation of this issue oi
Desert Magazine is . . .
25,800 COPIES
Volume 9 JANUARY, 1946 Number 3
COVER DESERT ROAD. In Sabino canyon, Santa Catalina
mountains, north of Tucson, Arizona. Photo by
Chuck Abbott, Tucson.
BOOKS
The Southwest in literature
. 2
CLOSE-UPS
Notes on Desert features and their writers .
. 3
PALM OASIS
Guadalupe Canyon in Lower California
Bv RANDALL HENDERSON
. 4
FIFI D TRIP
Trtcnpr Pnm.crri for KvPrvnodv
By JOHN HILTON
9
inurj r aloe.
19
TiVI>T /~\T5 n TT/~* VT
t afloka i lun
Lost Oily oi trie bfcy
By CLEE WOODS
. 13
21 Mf"""TITrJT HT1T
we round tne Lxiypns in tne ^juijus
By RICHARD VAN VALKENBURGH . .
. 17
CONTEST
Prize Photo Contest announcement ....
. . 20
PERSONALITY
Craftsman of the Cactus Desert
By NANCY LUNSFORD
. . 21
NATURE
Mark of the Centipede
By WELDON WOODSON
. . 25
HUMOR
Hard Rock Shorty of Death Valley ....
. . 28
ART OF LIVING
Desert Refuge, by MARSHAL SOUTH . .
. . 79
LETTERS
31
NEWS
33
MINING
. . 38
HOBBY
Gems and Minerals
—Edited by ARTHUR L. EATON . . .
39
CRAFT
Amateur Gem Cutter, by LELANDE QUICK .
. . 45
COMMENT
lust Between You and Me
By The Editor
46
POETRY
The Desert Rat, and other poems ....
. . 47
The Desert Magazine la published monthly by the Desert Publishing Company, 686
State Street, El Centro, California. Entered as second class matter October 11, 15137, at the
post office at Et Centro, California, under the Act ot March 3, 1873. Title registered No.
ureses in U. S. Patent Office, and contents copyrighted 15)16 by the Desert Publishing Com-
pany. Permission to reproduce contents must be secured from the editor in writing.
RANDALL HENDERSON, Editor. LUCILE HARRIS, Associate Editor.
RESS STACY, Business Man oner. — EVONNE RIDDELL, Circulation Mauajter.
Unsolicited manuscripts and photographs submitted cannot be returned or acknowledged
unless fu]] return postage is enclosed. Desert Magazine assumes no responsibility for damage
or loss of manuscripts or photographs although due care will be exercised. Subscribers should
send notice of change of address by the first of the month preceding issue. If address is un-
certain by that date, notify circulation deportment to hold copies,
SUBSCRIPTION RATES
One year .... $2.50
Canadian subscriptions £5c extra, foreign 50c extra.
Subscriptions to Army personnel outside U.S.A. must be mailed in conformity with
P.O.D. Order Nos. 19687 & 27851
Address correspondence to Desert Magazine, 636 State St., El Centro, California.
JANUARY, 1946
3
One of the most spectacular oj the waterfalls in Guadalupe
canyon. A hand-and-toe detour was necessary to reach the
top of these falls.
Clear pools in almost white granite rock are one of the
lures of Guadalupe. Above this pool was an ancient Indian
camp strewn with broken pottery.
(fuadaLupe (Zany on In
Jlowet (?&lij\otnia
This month Randall Henderson takes Desert readers across the border
into Mexico for a glimpse of one of the many beautiful palm canyons in
Lower California. And here also are some suggestions for a delicious
camp dinner — cooked Mexican style.
By RANDALL HENDERSON
/O MEXICAN first told me about
I / Guadalupe canyon. He said that
many miles south of the border, on
the desert side of the range which forms
the backbone of the Lower California pen-
insula there was a deep gorge with hot
water coming down one side of the canyon
and cold water down the other.
According to reports current in the bor-
der town of Mexicali, the hot water springs
had fine curative powers, and old Mexi-
cans often went there for relief from rheu-
matism and other ailments.
But none of the Mexican nationals
whom I knew in Mexicali could tell me
how to reach the springs. Finally, with
vague directions from someone who knew
someone who had been there, a party of
us crossed through the Mexicali port of
entry and spent much of two days trying
to locate the canyon in which the springs
were located.
We hiked many miles up canyons and
over ridges, and found two cool springs
and many palms — but no canyon that an-
swered the description of Guadalupe.
The canyon derived its name, we were
told, from a pinnacle of rock, — a granite-
gendarme that stood in bold outline
against the sky on the ridge near the head
of the canyon. One of the early day ex-
plorers in that region had seen in the 200-
foot spire a resemblance to the Virgin of
Guadalupe — and thereafter it had been
4
THE DESERT MAGAZINE
One of the many elephant trees that grow on the slopes
overlooking Guadalupe canyon. The sap of this tree is
ill most blood red.
At one oj the Guadalupe hot springs, left to right: Aries
Adams. Waller Gatlin. Salvador Campos, Maclovio
Vasauez and Daniel Mar/juez.
known as Guadalupe canyon. The pinnacle
was a landmark which would identify the
canyon we were seeking.
Eventually, I found one who knew the
road to Guadalupe — and so great is the
fascination of that wild region that I have
returned there four times in the past 12
years, despite the fact that I always get
mired in the sand somewhere along the
7-mile pull up a sandy wash to reach the
canyon entrance.
My last trip to the canyon of the virgin
saint was in October. It had been five years
since I had bucked that sandy wash. But
Aries Adams wanted to go, and was sure
his jalopy could make the grade. So we
arranged the trip.
Generally it requires tourist permits to
cross the Mexican border for an overnight
trip. But the inspectors at the international
gate at Mexicali waived this requirement
when they learned our companions on the
outing were to be three of their own
citizens.
Members of the party in addition to
Aries and myself were Walter Gatlin of El
Centro, Daniel Marquez, Salvador Campos
and Maclovio Vasquez who reside in Mex-
icali and cross the border daily to work in
the flax mill where Aries is superinten-
dent.
Mexicali, a city of 15,000, has added
many paved streets and fine residence and
business buildings during the war period,
and hardly would be recognized today by
those who knew the town years ago when
it was a village of adobe huts, cantinas and
dirty streets.
Leaving the city pavements we followed
dusty roads across the fertile delta lands
where the cotton harvest was in progress.
Cotton is the main output of this Mexican
valley. Our route was the road which for-
mer Governor Cantu built many years ago
to connect Mexicali with the coast at Ti-
juana, paralleling the border on the Mexi-
can side. Twelve miles out we left the
cotton fields behind and began the gentle
climb over the pass which separates Mt.
Signal from the Cocopah range. From the
summit of the pass we looked down on the
great dry lake bed of Laguna Salada, called
Laguna Maquata on old maps. If you can
imagine the Salton Sea basin before the
Colorado river broke through and filled
it with water in 1905-06, you have an ex-
cellent picture of Laguna Salada today.
When I first saw this shallow basin in
1922 it was filled with water. Then a few
years later, one hot summer, the water
evaporated, leaving the floor of the lagoon
covered with dead mullet. Enterprising
Mexicans recovered hundreds of tons of
these fish and sold them for fertilizer.
Then in 1939, without warning, the
basin filled with water again. And now it
is dry, with a floor so hard and smooth
one can drive 40 miles across its surface at
top speed.
There is no mystery about the recurring
floods which fill the Salada basin. The
water comes from one of the many delta
streams of the Colorado river. When drift-
wood or silt accumulate in certain of the
delta channels, the water backs up and
JANUARY, 1946
5
The whitish grey granite and the
dark fronds of the palm form strik-
ing contrast. The Virgin of Guada-
lupe is the guardian saint of this
canyon.
overflows into the Laguna basin for weeks
or perhaps months or years. The silt and
sand of the delta are constantly shifting,
and eventually the blockade gives way, the
channels to the gulf of California are re-
opened, and Laguna Salada is left without
a source of supply. The basin is so shallow
that when this happens the water will
evaporate in a single season.
The phenomenon of Laguna Salada is an
exact parallel to the cycles of flood and
drought which recurred in the Cat nulla
basin — now Sal ton Sea — over a period of
thousands of years before American en-
Ljinc.-t.Ts brought irrigation watei from the
Colorado to Imperial valley and erected
dikes to keep the river permanently out of
this below-sea-level basin.
There are many Americans living today
who saw the Salton basin dry in 19CM when
Imperial valley lands were being reclaimed
— and who recall the catastrophe that
threatened when the protective works gave
way in 1905 and the river poured in and
formed the Salton Sea we know today.
No engineers have yet tampeied with
the Laguna Salada terrain — and so the sea
comes and goes in irregular cycles, accord-
ing to the natural fill and erosion of the
millions of tons of silt which normally
come down the Colorado river annually.
However, it hardly is accurate to refer to
this as entirely a "natural" process today —
6
for the construction of Boulder and other
dams in the Colorado have lowered the silt
content in the lower river, and this will
have a bearing on the status of Laguna
Salada. Just what the effect will be, no
one can say with certainty.
Fray Francisco Garces recorded that
Laguna Salada was full of water when he
reached that spot in 1 77 1 , and Juan Bau-
tista reported a lake there when he passed
that way on his scouting trip in 1774.
James Pattie found the lake dry in 1824
and he and his party suffered critically
from lack of water in their trek from the
Colorado river over the Coco pah moun-
tains and across the great salt flat and on
to San Diego.
This year the lake is dry, and as smooth
as a paved road. There are patches of salt
crust where the tires make a slight inden-
ture, but much of the surface leaves only
a faint car trail.
We followed the tracks which wood-
cutters had made when they go into that
area for dead ironwood and mesquite and
palo verde for the stoves of Mexicali. Half-
way the length of the lake our trail swung
in toward the precipitous mountain range
on the west — the range that separates the
Pacific from the desert.
At the edge of the dry lake we came to
the arrowweed shack and the well of Sefior
Demara who has run cattle in that area for
many years. The animals find fairly good
grazing on the wide bajada that extends
from the lake shore to the toe of the moun-
tains, and in the canyons. There are
streams in nearly all the canyons which
gash the eastern slope of this range, but
the water disappears in the sand before it
reaches the floor of the desert.
There is a belt of sand dunes along the
western shore of the old lake. Many shards
and an occasional metate are found in these
dunes, relics of a prehistoric period when
Indians, perhaps ancestors of the vanish-
ing Cocopahs, lived along the lake shore
and fished and made bread of mescjuite
bean meal.
There is a route — not a road — through
the dunes, marked by the wide tires of the
wood-cutters' trucks. It was heavy going
for the jalopy, but we made it through,
and then started the seven-mile trip up
across the gently sloping bajada to the
mouth of Guadalupe canyon.
Mexican engineers had surveyed a road
straight back to the mountains, and the
right-of-way had been cleared, since I last
visited Guadalupe. In former days we
merely followed the winding course of the
arroyo, dodging and turning to avoid the
smoke trees which grow thickly in this
wash. It calls for fast decisive thinking,
driving up one of those smoke tree washes
at 20 to 25 miles an hour, knowing that if
you take the wrong lane or lose momentum
you will spend hours of shoveling and
pushing to get the car out of trouble.
framed between the palm fronds,
the pinnacle to the left of the cone-
like peak is Guadalupe rock, for
which the canyon was named by an
early visitor.
There's a thrill in the sport — but at the
end of an hour one feels a sense of mental
fatigue. Skiing over a new route on rough
tree-dotted terrain is the only sport com-
parable to it.
On this trip we followed the right-of-
way, and while there wasn't much of a
road, it was a simple matter to drive
straight ahead and keep up the necessary
speed. At the toe of the mountains the
road branched to the right, while the en-
trance to Guadalupe was on the left, so
Aries swung the car into a sandy wash and
we spun around trees and dodged rocks at
a dizzy pace for another mile. Then we hit
sand too soft even for this hig-tired desert
car, and before Aries could swing around
and head downstream we were down to
the hubs.
But we had plenty of manpower, and
it was only a 15-minute task to get tin-
car turned around and on a solid base.
And there we made camp for the night.
Wi- could see the palms a mile up the can-
yon. And back on the ridge beyond was
Guadalupe rock silhouetted against the
sunset sky.
The Mexican boys served the camp din-
ner that night. It was a new kind of camp
cooking for me, and what a feast it was!
We ate chicken tacos, then frijole tacos,
then chicken and frijoles mixed, and then
went back and finished up on straight
chicken. Yes, we ate a lot of tacos. The
THE DESERT MAGAZINE
We spread our bedrolls on clean white-
sand, and were up at daybreak for the hike
up the canyon.
We met the stream where the last trickle
seeped into the sand, before we had gone
a half mile to the canyon. Then young
palm trees began to appear along the water
course, and soon we were in a forest of
mature trees. It was in Guadalupe canyon
i hat I first made the acquaintance of the
blue palm — ■ the Erythea arm at a which
grows wild in Lower California and So-
nora. I have been looking for this palm in
its native state on the American side of the
Line for years, without success. Apparently
it marches up within 25 miles of the Cali-
fornia border, and stops there. E. armata
is of the fan palm type, but not as tall
and rugged as the Washingtonia species
which grows on the California desert.
Of the 1155 palms growing in Guada-
lupe canyon — I counted only those three
feet high and over — about 85 per cent are
Washingtoma f Hi) era, and the remainder
blue palms. Nearly two thirds of the palms
in this canyon are young— under 25 years.
Several hundred of them have sprouted
and grown since my first visit to this can-
yon 12 years ago. 1 have no explanation for
this sudden appearance of so many young
palms. Normally, 1 would say they were
taking the places of an older generation of
trees which had been swept away by cloud-
burst torrents. But when that happens, the
bajada below the mouth of the canyon is
strewn with dead palm trunks lodged
against the boulders. There were a few old
trunks scattered over the Guadalupe fan,
but not in such numbers as to indicate
that the canyon had ever known such a
forest of trees as is developing there now.
Three-fourths of a mile after encounter-
ing the first of the palms we climbed to a
bench on the right side of the canyon and
reached the first of the hot springs. One
can smell the water before reaching its
source, for it is highly mineralized with
hooking down canyon toward the
Lttgttna Salada lake bed from the
bench on which the hot springs
are located.
chicken had been stewed previously, but
the boys put it on the fire again and crisped
it in hot butter.
Mexican cooks somehow get a flavor
into frijole beans that no other chefs ever
achieve. We had corn tortillas, great stacks
of them. The tortillas had become some-
what wilted since they were cooked the
day before. But I learned about tossing
them on a bed of redhot embers to crisp
ihem again, and when we rolled our tacos
they were so hot they almost burned our
fingers.
That's a Mexican camp dinner for you.
and I can recommend it.
JANUARY, 1946
This is the blue palm, Erythea armata. which grows alongside the Washingtonia jitijera in
Guadalupe canyon. The palm derives its common name from the whitish blue cast of its
fronds. The fruit is the size of a small marble.
sulphur. It gushes from the boulders so
hot one cannot hold a hand in it. On cold
mornings steam rises from the spot. A
second large spring a hundred yards away
actu;il]y gurgles from a hole in the middle
of the huge boulder. Vari -colored algae
cover the surface of the rocks over which
the water pours. Hot springs in such a set-
ting of palms and pools and waterfalls as
one finds in Guadalupe canyon long ago
would have been the site of a million-dol-
lar health resort, in a more accessible
region.
We continued up the canyon, climbing
falls and gaining altitude rapidly for 2V2
miles, until the last of the palms were seen
at an elevation of about 1500 feet. It is
another 1500-foot climb up a steep slope
to Guadalupe rock, but we lacked the time
for the ascent. And besides, it was more
fun discovering new pools and figuring
routes around the rocky barriers which
blocked the route along the floor of the
canyon. Once, making a detour around a
waterfall, I came upon a natural cave-like
shelter where former Indian dwellers had
left great quantities of broken pottery.
Well-worn depressions in the flat rocks in
front of the overhang were silent witnesses
of the days when Indian women knelt
here and ground mesquite beans and palm
seeds into meal.
The rock in Guadalupe is granite, some
of it almost white, and worn smooth by
ages of running water. The floor of the
canyon and the slopes were covered with
much the same vegetation as one finds on
the Colorado desert north of the border —
ocotillo, agave, palo verde, catsclaw, wild
mint, bisnaga, buckhorn, and an occasional
chuparosa in blossom. The next most con-
spicuous stranger in this area was the ele-
phant tree. Many of them grew on the
slopes.
The lone dweller in Guadalupe canyon
— and he was there only on a temporary
mission — was Jose Redondo, He was
camping beneath an overhanging rock and
gathering herbs for the boticas in Mexicali.
On a tarpaulin in front of his shelter were
spread juniper twigs, yerba santa and a
shrub he called uata. It resembles rabbit
bush.
There is a mud and stone hut near one
of the springs, used only when ailing visi-
tors come to this canyon for the healing
power of its mineral water. Mexican pros-
pectors and hunters visit the canyon oc-
casionally, and vaejueros seeking cattle that
have strayed up among the rocks may be
met along the trail that leads to the springs.
But most of the time the Virgin of Guada-
lupe keeps a lonely vigil over a domain
that knows no human trespass.
The only regret in connection with such
a trip is the necessity for leaving the tran-
cjuil beauty of this landscape. One could
loiter for days among the palms and beside
the clear granite pools. A stream of cold
water comes down the canyon from some-
where above and eventually joins volume
with the streams of mineral water which
frickle down from the springs on the
bench. The hot water has lost both its tem-
perature and its odor before it reaches the
bottom of the gulch, nor is there any taint
in the flavor of the water below where the
streams meet.
I would like to pay a tribute to the mem-
ory of the early day explorer who gave
this canyon its name. It is fitting that such
a lovely canyon should have so saintly a
guardian angel as the Virgin of Guada-
lupe. For the present, it is Linlikely that this
retreat will be overrun with tourists. It is
to be hoped it never will be profaned by
other than those who will look up at the
lonely Virgin on the ridge above and sense
their responsibility to keep this place clean
and beautiful.
THE DESERT MAGAZINE
This is where the side-road takes off from Highway 66 near mile post 1 14. The power line
may be seen on the left, and Pisgah crater in the background.
y.a5pet £nouqk foot tZvetyltocty
We don't know what the book on etiquette says about the good old
custom of licking your rocks to determine their polishing qualities. But
here are some interesting slants on the subject. This is another of John
Hilton's held trips — into an area where there is jasper enough to supply
the cabochan-cutters for many years.
By JOHN HILTON
rHIS STORY starts with an ordin-
ary post standing beside a lonely
stretch of desert highway. The post
is about four feet high and six inches wide,
and is painted white. It bears the number
1 14 in black figures. I have been passing
these roadside posts for years without ever
bothering to find out who put them there
and why.
Then a letter from Kenneth J. Hines of
Puente, California, was passed along to me
by the editor of Desert. Kenneth ranges
far and wide over the desert country, and
his letter suggested that the rockhound
fraternity might be interested in a field
trip out along Highway 66 in San Bernar-
dino county, California, to some jasper
and agate areas he had discovered.
The sketch accompanying the letter
showed a side-road leading from the high-
way at mile post 115. The mileposts, he
explained were located along the road a
mile apart, starting at the San Bernardino
courthouse with No. I.
We had driven over the pass through
Sheep Hole mountains from Twentynine
Palms — Barney Barnes, Calvin Stillwell
and myself. Our goal, as indicated by the
sketch, was milepost 1 J 5. It would be easy
to locate because a power line crossed the
highway at that point.
We already had passed Amboy crater
with its lava flows which look like com-
paratively recent scars on the desert land-
scape. Now ahead loomed another black
iava cone — Pisgah crater. Here again was
a rough dark mass of twisted flows and
crumpled lava fields which contrasted with
the soft contours and tan shades of the
surrounding desert. These craters have not
yet had time to become part of the land-
scape. It will require many thousands of
additional years before they will blend
with their background. The face of the
earth does not absorb its scar tissue at a
very rapid rate.
We were riding along talking of these
[flings when we saw the high steel towers
of the power line ahead. And there was
milepost 115, the place where we were
scheduled to leave the highway. But some-
thing was wrong. There were two roads —
and we had no clue as to which one to
follow.
While we debated the question, we saw
the metal framework of a sub-station and
a cottage out along the power line to the
north. We decided to drive in there and
see if the people at the power station could
straighten us out. We met a young man
coming out of the station. He smiled and
introduced himself as Bob Bloomingdale.
When we told him we were on a Desert
Magazine trip his welcome became even
more cordial. It turned out that Bob and
his family not only are Desert readers but
rock collectors as well. It was a pleasant
surprise all around and in a few minutes
we were meeting the rest of the family and
discussing rocks and the other things of
the desert.
Suddenly I remembered our mission and
asked Bob and his father about the jasper
field that we were hunting.
"You're right in the middle of it," they
told me. "It extends several miles in every
direction from here. There are good gem
stones to be had practically in the front
yard."
This was a new experience to me. I have
found desert folks living in or near gem
fields on other occasions but often they
were quite indifferent to the interesting
material under their feet. These people-
were different! They not only knew about
the gems close to them but took an interest
in the many other mineral deposits in the
area and had dabbled some in cutting gems
on their own.
Bob took us over to a pile of rough rocks
in the yard and we saw that there must be
JANUARY, 1946
9
Barney Barnes still holds to the old desert custom oj licking your rocks to see how
they will look when polished.
a great deal more than jasper in this area.
Manganese and copper ores, agates, crys-
tals and other interesting specimens were
there in profusion. I reached down to pick
up an especially interesting piece of
flowered green and red agate when I saw
something move in the failing light. We
all recoiled instinctively as the tiniest side-
winder rattler I have ever seen emerged
from under the rock I had just picked up.
He was not quite as long as a lead pencil
nor as big around but still a sidewinder
and poisonous. The little fellow wasn't
mean like some of his elders, however, and
never so much as attempted to strike as I
herded him into a glass jar to take to a
friend.
The Bloomingdales seemed a bit apolo-
getic about the sidewinder incident and
assured us that this sort of thing didn't
happen every day. In fact they agreed that
this was the first snake they had seen
around the place for several years. We
made a rather careful search for the bal-
ance of the brood but this one must have
been a rugged individualist who had his
own ideas about migration, for no others
turned up.
That night we camped out on a dry lake-
north of Ludlow because we wanted to take
a short run up into the slopes of the Cady
mountains in the morning to check a theory
that had developed in the conversation of
the afternoon. The subject of the source
of all this jasper had come up and I re-
marked that some of it looked a good deal
like the jaspers that I had collected years
ago in the Cadys. Bob and his father said
that there were agates and jaspers in a
place on the south side of this mountain
range so we decided to see if there might
be a provable connection. It was dark and
moonless when we stopped on the lake, but
soon we had our steak supper cooking and
our camp set up. Steaks and hot coffee on
the desert for the first time since 1941,
seemed to bring home to all three of us
that the long years of doing what we didn't
want finally were over and a thrilling new
era lay ahead.
After supper was over and the dishes
washed, Barney got out his Mineralight
and cast its rays on some of the samples
we had picked up near the Bloomingdale
yard. To our pleasant surprise, some bits
of chalcedony fluoresced a brilliant light
green. Then we started walking over the
lake bed to see if anything there reacted
to the light. Presently we came upon some
wind blown gravel on the floor of the lake
and sure enough there were small bits of
stone that fluoresced the same green. In
ordinary light we found that they were
also bits of chalcedony. This was interest-
ing and while not a final proof, did point
to the possible source of the gems in the
flats and tolling hills below. The Cadys
are heavily eroded and undoubtedly were
a much higher range at one time. It would
appear that from them came many of the
stones we found in the foothills the next
morning.
We were getting towards the edge of
the lake and the bits of chalcedony were
interspersed with grey limestone that fluor-
esced ruby red to orange. Then we saw
headlights coming down the lonely road
where our car was parked. We knew that
there was very little travel on such a road
and certainly not at night. To our surprise
the cars came abreast of ours and turned
out into the lake and stopped about a
ruarter of a mile away. Then we under
stood why they were out at this time of
night The headlights of one of the cars
were focused on a small red plane that had
made a forced landing that afternoon. The
boys in the plane had walked to Ludlow.
But they saw our lights in the approximate
location of the plane and became worried.
We had more trouble explaining our
presence on the dry lake to them than they
had to us. The light fascinated them, how-
ever, and presently the aviators and the
folks who had brought them out from
town were wandering around over the
desert following Barney and his ultra-
violet light, exclaiming over the beauties
of the rocks underfoot.
The next morning as we were about half
way to the foot of the mountains from the
lake and had stopped to examine some
agate and jasper along the trail the little
red plane took off from the field. They
circled and dipped their wings as they
came overhead.
It didn't take us long to find out that
this part of the Cady mountains was no
place for field trippers. Our car struck high
center several times and we decided that
the jaspers near the highway would do as
well.
Back at mile post 1 14 we turned on the
10
THE DESERT MAGAZINE
Bob Bloomingdale {left) and his father with some of the jasper and agate specimens they
have brought in from the Pisgah area.
dirt road and traveled three-quarters of a
mile. There in a shallow depression among
the low rolling alluvial hills, we found a
veritable wonderland of multicolored jas-
per. There were some agates and chalce-
dony roses and a few pieces of bloodstone
but by far the most outstanding gems of
the field were jaspers in just about every
color known to the mineral. I even found
a jet black piece with cherry red markings.
It wasn't a matter of finding jaspers, it was
a matter of deciding which ones not to take
along. I think that I am safe in saying that
about one per cent of the rock covering the
surface of that basin and the surrounding
hillsides was jasper or agate.
We would gather gems for a while and
then sit down, dump our sacks out on (he
ground and sort out the best. It was during
one of these sorting periods that I looked
up and saw Barney Barnes licking a jasper
with a vim and expertness that could only
stem from long practice. This brought up
the age-old rockhound's question of "lick
or not to lick" and we found that the three
of us were unanimous in the belief that
licking a stone will tell a collector more
St-OOM/NSDALE'S
JANUARY, 1946
I!
about its polishing possibilities than any
other hasty field test yet devised. We also
agreed that the new tangled idea of drib-
bling water on them from a canteen was
a mild form of sacrilege not to be con-
sidered by serious desert rockhounds. We
discarded the idea of an "artificial licker"
designed from a mucilage bottle with a
rubber spreading tip as fantastic and too
sissy for words (probably the idea of some
fastidious woman who, if she could have
her way, might force people to eat fried
chicken with a fork) ,
Finally after discussing the various ar-
guments against licking and balancing
them against the joys and advantages, wc
tame to the following conclusion:
First — The sanitary angle shouldn't
hold one back, for doctors agree that desert
sunlight and heat kill germs. A smooth
fine grained rock isn't much of a germ
hatchery at best, for germs, like all other
life, have to eat to multiply. That much
for sanitation and health.
Second — The accusation that it doesn't
look nice for folks to go around licking
pebbles: In our opinion, it's all a matter
of what folks are used to. Arctic explorers
soon cease to see anything indelicate in the
way Eskimos eat blubber with their fin-
gers, because this is the custom of the land.
Licking rocks to see if they are fit to polish
is a well established custom on the desert.
Third — The average non-1 icker of rocks
sees only that the rockhound wets the rock
with saliva and wonders why water
wouldn't do as well. But a real rockhound
learns a good deal about the grain and
texture of the rock when he licks it. The
tip of the tongue is extremely sens ; tive to
touch and will tell a person more than his
finger tips about grain and structure.
Then there are the various safety fac-
tors. Rockhounds are notoriously absent
minded when in a good gem field. They
become temporarily unaware of the pas-
sage of lime, the temperature, hunger,
thirst or the little woman waiting in the
car. A dyed-in-the-wool licker will never
die of thirst due to absent mindedness of
this sort for when the saliva runs out he
suddenly will come out of his trance and
look up a canteen. Another thing we
agreed might save the life of an absent
minded rockhound is the fact that when
the temperature really starts to rise and
the rocks get so hot they sizzle when
licked, he probably would snap out of it
and realize that the temperature is too high
— thus averting a heat stroke.
We didn't stay in the field long because
in spite of our discarding, we soon had a
representative collection of the area and
had determined that it extended far
enough to keep a lot of rockhounds licking
and picking for a very long time.
One of the things about this trip that
stands out is the fad that it can be reached
by many who might otherwise seldom get
a chance to gather rocks for themselves.
TRUE OR FALSE
There are several ways to improve your
acquaintance with the Great American
desert. One way is to travel and explore.
Another is to read books. And a third way is right- here in front of your eyes —
the desert quiz. You'll not get all the answers right. If you score half of them cor-
rectly you'll know more than the average person. A score of 15 is excellent. More
than that puts you in the class with the sand dune sages. The answers are on page
44.
1 — The coyote is entirely a vegetarian. True. . . False.
2 — The bite of the chuckawalla lizard is poisonous. True False....
} — The Bill Williams river in Arizona was named after a famous trapper, scout
and mountain man. True - False
4 — The saguaro cactus withstands long periods of drought by storing water in
its roots. True False
5 — An arrastre is a primitive mill for crushing ore. True. False...
6 — Cochiti is the name of an Indian pueblo in New Mexico. True False..
7 — Winnemucca was a former chief of the Paiute Indians. True. False.
8— — Ocotillo grows a new coat of leaves only in the late winter or spring.
True False
9 — When a Navajo woman dies, it is tribal custom that the husband inherit her
flock of sheep. True... False
10 — Billy the Kid was a noted outlaw in Utah. True False.
1 I — Wasatch mountains may be seen on a clear day from Palm Springs. California.
True False
12 — The only poisonous lizard found on the deserts of the Southwest is the Gila
Monster. True False
1 3 — The book Death Valley in '49 was written by William Lewis Manly,
True False
14 — Desert drivers should carry chains to put on their car wheels when driving
through dry sand. True False
1 S — Iceland spar is the name given to a certain type of quartz crystals.
True False
16 — White Sands national monument is located near Alamogordo. New Mexico.
True False
17 — Antelope still run wild in certain parts of Nevada. True.. False
18 — Nogales, Arizona, is a port of entry from Sonora, Mexico.
True False
19 — Jacob's Lake in northern Arizona was named for Jacob Hamblin, Mormon
missionary. True False
20 — The Mojave river of California is a tributary of the Colorado.
True False
The field is so accessible, the ground so
firm and the material so plentiful that even
a patient in a wheel chair could gather
rocks here. It is with this in mind that I am
asking the more active readers who go on
the trip to refrain from picking up material
within the first few hundred feet of the
road and leave it for the less fortunate
who might get a great deal of joy from the
thrill of actual collecting.
We stopped in to say goodby to the
Bloomingdale family. They were hard to
leave. There were more rocks to look at,
the fine telescope that brings out all of
tlie details of the crater and many o titer
things. They are proud of the sturdy Ari-
zona ash trees that are growing so well in
their yard. When all the water has to be
hauled, die growing of a shade tree is a
real accomplishment, worthy of pride.
The Bloomingdales told us, too, of their
plans when the other son comes back from
the service and they aren't so short handed
at the station. They will again take family
trips into the surrounding desert and col-
lect more stones, get the cutting machine
going again and in other words, do what
a good many of us plan to do — get a kick
out of our desert like we used to before
world's turmoil clamped down on most
everything worthwhile.
As we drove homeward past post 1 14
we felt a wave of thankfulness to whoever
started setting out those mile posts along
the highway and to K. J. Hines for calling
our attention to them.
12
THE DESERT MAGAZINE
From the Sky City the ancients looked out across a sea of black lava— where p'tnon and
cedar have now found root.
Jlo5t <2ity ofi the Sky
Who were the ancients who dwelt on this well-fortified butte? From
where did they come? When did they leave, and why did they abandon
a home where Nature had provided so well for their comfort? No one
knows the answers to these questions. But Clee Woods has given a graphic
picture of the ruins as he found them on a recent trip into the lava-bed
country of New Mexico— a story that will stir your imagination.
By CLEE WOODS
/It WAS almost ciusk. Betty and I
_\# puffed hard up the old trail that was
gutted these hundreds of years by
hard July and August downpours. We'd
spent too much time down at the huge
square stone house talking to George
Hanna and his big family.
George had said, "But you've never seen
.1 ruin till you see this one," and he'd
lerked his head back toward the trail we
now were on.
As we neared the top our anticipation
grew keener. Too bad we didn't have more
time. But we'd come back again. Funny
how you always think that, isn't it? That
you'll come back. Sometimes you do. More
often you never do, but that desire to re-
turn keeps on haunting you all through the
years— to go back to this or that spot on
the desert where some of your heart has
been left.
"Look! How do you get over that?"
Betty asked, pointing up ahead.
She indicated a stone wall four feet high
squarely across our already straight-up-
and-down trail. But with a little searching
we found a hole broken through this wall,
apparently by some sheepherder so that his
sheep could get to the rich black gramma
grass beneath the acres of pinon and cedar
trees which spread a needled umbrella over
the mesa.
We struggled through this breach in
the wall, and found ourselves on flat table-
land. And there but a short distance away
lay the great ruin just as they had left it.
except for what hundreds of years had
done with wind and sun and rain and de-
cay. A whole little city high on an almost
impregnable New Mexico mesa.
Probably four-fifths of the rimrock
thrust up from the plain was so straight
and sheer that no primitive man ever could
have scaled it at any time. At the few places
where attacking forces might have climbed
up we found rock-walled battlements still
in place. A narrow neck or isthmus of land
connected this protruding thumb with the
main body of Putney Mesa, thus affording
potential enemies one spot where they
could assault the place on level ground.
But all the way across this narrow neck is
a row of rooms, with no doors or windows
on the outside. This line of rooms, all of
JANUARY, 1946
13
This part of the mesa needed no battlements for defense.
Betty Woods contemplates the defense wall on the south side.
solid masonry, sealed off the one highly
vulnerable spot of the whole mesa.
Although much of the stone has tumbled
down, you know as you look at that forti-
fied section of the defense works that atop
the outer edge of these rooms there had
been a rock wall from behind which the in-
habitants might defend the city with ample
advantage. You know, too, that the bravest
and most able men lived in that row of
houses, ready any hour of the day or night
to leap to the walls with their arrow-
crammed quivers, their bows and spears
and clubs and stone missives. The story is
all quite plain, even today.
As dusk deepened that evening in April,
1938, my wife and I hurried from one point
to another. Every so often Betty would
shout, "Come and look at this!"
Night drove us away, and we were
forced to climb down that steep, gullied
trail in the darkness. But we would come
back. Next fall, sure. Then we'd have more
time.
But during the next three years we never
found the time to come back. Then the war
stopped our travels for four years. But this
year we did go back! Early in the morn-
ing, too, fortified with lunch and all the
time we wanted.
We'd turned to our right off Highway
66 eight miles east of Grants, New Mex-
ico. That puts us on a roughly graded dirt
road which runs south along the east side
of New Mexico's great lava beds. There
was no mistaking the road because we had
the lava beds on our right constantly. Put-
ney Mesa kept squeezing the road down
against the malpais on our left until some-
times the car fenders almost scraped the
tar-hued lava walls. Often we had to resist
the desire to stop and climb up onto some
rolling malpais ridge where the lava lies
in jagged black masses, and where a few
Ponderosa pines and many pinon trees
grow up through the cracks in the lava.
The mesa walls on our right thrust up hun-
dreds of feet. Sheer sandstone bluffs of
pink and red and grey, with great arches on
their faces in that odd way sandstone cliffs
in the Southwest have of outdoing archi-
tects in the beauty and majesty of their
creations.
A few Navajo hogans squat within sight
of the road. The Indians find grassy
stretches between mesa wal Is and malpais.
The Navajo sheep are also herded for miles
into the lava, because everywhere that sand
and decayed vegetable matter settle in the
lava, there the sheep find grass and brush — >
rubber bush, rabbit bush, ponel shrub and
temita.
As we rode along we spied two Navajo
girls, perhaps 12 and 14, running up over
the sharp biting lava like wild creatures
seeking cover. Now they crouched between
a bluebush and a big slab of lava that stood
on end like a tombstone. Cautiously, the
girls peered down at us, with a backward
glance now and then as if to make sure
there would be room for further flight in
case -we stopped. Their sheep grazed
through the lava. A herd of sheep in the
Navajo country is usually evidence of the
presence of hiding Indian children when
no herder is in sight.
We let the girls believe themselves un-
discovered, and hurried on. We knew this
morning where we were going. Back to
our ruins!
Thirteen miles from Highway 66 we
came in sight of the big square stone house.
But George Hanna didn't live there any
more. His dry-farm fields now were cov-
ered with tumbleweeds and poppies. We
by-passed the white man's crumbling
14
THE DESERT MAGAZINE
house, drove up through the narrow open-
ing between great barn-sized sandstone
rocks, and took to the steep trail afoot.
Now, reaching the gap in the once un-
assailable wall, we could examine every
corner of the ruins in detail, even to step-
ping off measurements. We had the time
to stroll along the rimrock fortifications.
To look down a long talus and see, in
imagination, a hostile tribe sulking up
through the scrub oak, cedar and pinon, to
take the place by storm.
We saw, too, the defenders on the walls.
Small, red-bodied men with flat heads and
blunt, rugged faces. Their uniforms noth-
ing but G-strings. Their arsenal at their
feet. How they slithered arrows down at
the crouching bodies that exposed even a
few inches to view. How they heaved
those stone-barbed spears when some dar-
ing enemy succeeded in fighting his way
too near the stone wall. How they yelled
their derisive defiance down at the waver-
ing besiegers. How they shouted with joy
as the attackers began to drop back, con-
vinced that it would be too costly in lives
to attempt the last fifty yards up that steep
draw and there to meet a stone wall and
valiant warriors on top of the wall.
The stone parapets you find there to-
. day sometimes are rather crudely laid. But
when you go to the pueblo itself, the ma-
sonry is the equal of any pre-Columbian
stone work in the Southwest. I would class
it above anything I've ever seen at Mesa
Verde, Chaco Canyon or Aztec.
The striking thing about these ruins is
that they give the definite impression that
they were built on a pre-conceived plan,
and a plan of high order. There is a main
communal pueblo fronting on a large plaza,
with two smaller inner plazas completely
surrounded by rooms. The large plaza is
enclosed on the east only by a stone wall.
This pueblo is about 525 feet long by 225
wide.
The main pueblo contained between 300
and 400 rooms. Most of the rooms are
about 8x12 feet in dimensions. The mesa
top covers between 12 and 15 acres, at a
rough guess. Scattered out from the main
pueblo are a number of smaller room clus-
ters. The largest of these has something
less than 30 rooms. Down over the mesa
rim and below the defensive walls, where
the cliff walls are not straight up and down,
a few isolated cliff-dweller type of ruins
perch. The one similar room on the north
side is in a perfect state of preservation.
You imagine that these rooms stuck around
on the more vulnerable sides of the cliff
were the barracks for men detailed to the
outer defense of the mesa.
The entire city appears to have been con-
structed over a comparatively short period
of time. I saw no indication, except per-
haps in one cluster of inferior rooms, that
the pueblo was built progressively, with
improvement or regression in evidence in
the type of construction, as so often is the
case with a large ruin like Chaco Canyon's
Pueblo Bonito. Here the masonry all ap-
pears to be of the same remarkable excel-
lence. The builders must have been at the
zenith of their culture when they came to
the mesa, since it appears they built all of
the pueblo within a generation. Extensive
excavation might contradict this tentative
conclusion. I am judging only by surface
appearances of the ruins.
In some spots the walls stand six feet
above the accumulated debris, and in per-
fect alignment. This may suggest a fairly
recent culture, possibly Pueblo IV. On a
high, wind-swept mesa, however, dust and
sand accumulation might be so retarded
as to make this evidence misleading.
The only definite suggestion of the age
of the ruins which I found on the surface,
other than the masonry, was in the pottery
sherds. The decorative figures of the pot-
tery often show a distinct glaze and a
bold, free stroke of the paint brush charac-
teristic of Pueblo IV peoples within the
Keresan linguistic cultural horizon, which
would include nearby Acoma. What little
observation qualified archeologists have
made of this lava-bed section would point
tentatively at least to the belief that these
ruins along the eastern perimeter of the
lava beds were left by tribes akin to the
Acoma people, if not actual Acoma ances-
tors. There is, too, the added suggestion of
Acoma kinship in the proclivity to build
pueblos upon rock-walled mesas. Acoma's
present perch is atop a very similar impreg-
nable rock. We do know definitely that
Coronado recorded no inhabited pueblo
here on the east side of the lava beds, when
he crossed the northern tip of the malpais
in 1539- His historian does mention an in-
habited town or two a little west of the
lava.
That brings us to the long trail across the
lava, beginning at the very foot of our ruin
mesa.
"Yes," George Hanna had said that
afternoon in 1938, "there's an ancient trail
that starts in here and crosses the lava.
There are more ruins on the west side, not
to mention Zufii itself. These people,"
again jerking his massive head toward the
ruins, "likely made that trail. They even
cleared loose malpais out of the trail, and
filled in cracks big enough to swallow that
car of yours several times over. I reckon
JANUARY, 1946
15
they traded and visited back and forth with
the pueblos on this side."
No sounder conclusion could have been
reached. But why did they leave their
pottery sitting in some of the ten thou-
sand caves in the ma 1 pais? Occasionally,
pottery has been found in a cave — -three,
five, ten vessels. In other instances the
pottery vessels have been found concealed
behind pieces of malpais within the caves.
On this trip we visited one cave, three
miles deep in the lava, which had evidence
of ceremonial occupation, possibly of a
temporary dwelling. It had deep ash pits,
metates and a smoke-blackened roof. In a
lower room were found nine pottery ves-
sels, most of them perfectly preserved. In
my collection this moment I have a flat-
tened wooden implement three feet long
and tooled to the shape of a sickle. This I
found in this cellar room, after it had been
overlooked by the original discoverer.
I also have three excellent pottery ves-
sels which came from another cave a short
distance from the big ruin on the mesa. One
of these is a rarity, a gallon-sized howl in a
deep-red slip with crude outside lines in
white and a very fine inside design in black,
including a figure which resembles an
Apache devil-dancer. Don't ask me what
significance such a figure has in a bowl that
may have been made before the Apache
ever reached New Mexico. I know only
that very few pottery vessels have been
found anywhere with the distinctive out-
side markings of crude white lines on red
and very good inside decorations in black
on red.
That's all the background we were able
to bring to our big ruin there on the mesa
on our return visit. The story of those an-
cient dwellers remains an unsolved mys-
tery — whence they came, who they were,
where they went, and why.
It was an odd coincidence that as we lay
beside an ant hill within the ruin and
looked lor beads — getting a few, too — a
B-29 passed five or six thousand feet above
us. Perhaps there we had encompassed for
us the story. War. Some enemy tribe had
found a superior weapon or a superior
mode of attack, just as that B-29 had
proved itself superior over Germany and
Japan.
Or perhaps disease hit this beautiful
little city so gloriously located. Then, in
their wisdom slowly acquired from the
ages, the old men of the tribe knew it was
time to get away from the death that kept
striking night and day. Time to leave every-
thing where it stood and go found a new
city, one clean and not cursed with the
devils of death.
What a pity, too. Up there they had
everything. Reserve water naturally stored
in a big reservoir on the western rim of the
mesa. Ice-cold springs down in the lava at
the foot of this mesa. Sub- irrigation foi
their corn and squash and peppers down in
the bottom land. Game in great abundance
for 50 miles to the east. More game out in
the lava, where deer and big-horn sheep
still thrive.
And here they had majesty. Beauty. An
awesome and strange and stupendoi^
world to look out upon, in that mighty s&)
of black malpais west and north and south.
We love it now, this ruin-dotted country
beside the Java. We love the black,
ropy, writhing malpais itself, with its mys-
terious caves, its lost trails, its vast sweep
of black, black, black. And sitting on the
battlements high above that lava world, we
think a thousand thoughts, ponder a thou
sand questions about our big, unspoiled
ruin which even today speaks to us so elo
cjuently of an industrious, intelligent peo
pie who intended when they built our sky
city that their children's children should
live here forever in security and happiness.
On the steep gullied trail to the top the climbers encountered this stone wall.
16
THE DESERT MAGAZINE
Following a clue given by a
Papago Indian, Richard Van Val-
kenburgh climbed a peak in the
Guijus range in southern Arizona
and found the top strewn with
petroglyph-covered boulders —
of the finest Indian "picture
galleries" in the Southwest ac-
cording to his report to Desert
Magazine readers.
By RICHARD VAN VALKENBURGH
NE DAY after a trip to the well
known Picture Rocks at the north-
ern end of the Tucson mountains I
mentioned the visit to my friend Miguel, a
Papago Indian from the rancheria of ali'-
chukshaun, or Little Tucson, 70 miles
southwest of Tucson, Arizona.
"Yeh, they're pretty fair. But pretty
scarred up," he grunted. "Let me tell you
about some better than those. My grand-
father told me. Down near the old Papago
campground at ali'bac, 'where little ones
dug a hole,' and which the Mexicans call
Arivaca, there is a whole mountain top
covered with these Indian writings. The
place is north of the village in the Las
Guijus mountains."
Tucking away the odd but rhythmic
name in the back of my mind it was not
until late spring that I heard it mentioned
again. One day Shorty Thorne, a former
sailor turned prospector, mentioned that
he owned some claims down at Las Guijus.
He was going down there the following
Sunday to visit an old compadre, Jesus
Canez.
It took a little convincing to assure
Shorty that what little gold 1 might obtain
was from writing, and not by digging. He
agreed to take me along. So on the fol-
lowing Sunday morning we left Tucson just
as the sun was coming up from behind the
Rincons. John Mallas, an artist, was the
third member of the party.
Our route lay southward over U. S.
Highway 89. A few miles out of Tucson
we could see in the distance the white
towers and domes of San Xavier as they
gleamed like jewels in the emerald green of
the desert. As we traveled farther south
the growth became more rank and the mes-
cjuite and palo verde replaced the saguaro.
Around Saguarito and Continental cul-
tivation and the virgin desert had created
their own kaleidoscope of color. Along the
river bottoms the bright green fields were
bordered by cottonwoods. At the river
terraces the olive green of the desert cut
sharply from the fields and swept upward
to the rose-tinted mountains that ended
in the pale blue of the spring sky.
JANUARY, 1946
17
At Kinsley Ranch, 37 miles south of
Tucson, we turned off at Arivaca junction.
The graded road led to the west. After
four miles we reached the famous old ranch
of Sopori. Once a populous Sobaipuris In-
dian village in the time of Father Kino, and
the later scene of many Apache raids, So-
pori is now a peaceful spot with its shaded
white buildings and green fields.
On a small spur overlooking Sopori we
stopped at a roadside shrine. Inside a small
rock grotto there stood a diminutive re-
ligious figure. At its feet were candle butts
and scattered about were real and imitation
flowers. Later we learned that this sacred
place was called La Boveda de Santa Rita,
"The Grotto of Santa Rita."
Our road wound up the historic valley
of the Sopori. Deserted adobes, some dat-
ing back into the Spanish era, lay tumbled
into the bloodstained earth where many
a settler had fallen victim to the savagery
of Apache forays. Poking its red head up
in the background of the west lay the
famed rendezvous of the Apache — the
Cerro Colorado.
Fourteen miles west and slightly south
of Kinsley Ranch, we came to a road fork.
The sign on the mail box read Mary G.
and Emma Mine. Before us spread the
'dobe ruins of what had once been a large
mining camp. Taking the side road we
stopped at the top of the hill beside an old
cemetery.
While we counted the 26 lonely graves
Shorty commented, "This is the mass
cemetery where lie a number of Yaqui who
died in a cave-in. Over on that slope is an-
other burying ground. There rest the peo-
ple who were killed during the Apache
raids. For this is the famous old Cerro
Colorado."
The American history of the Cerro Col-
orado began in 1856, a few years after the
Gadsden Treaty. According to Hiram C.
Hodge, an early observer, the first tele-
graph line in Arizona ran between this
mine and the Frowita (Fraquita) 15 miles
to the south.
There is no question that the Spaniards
worked the rich silver lodes of the Cerro
Colorado long before the coming of Anglo-
Americans. For it was at Arivaca, some ten
miles to the south, that the Mission San
Angeles de Quevavi was located in 1739.
This Kino mission was on the upper Santa
Cru2 river in the vicinity of present No-
gales, Arizona.
The first American development was be-
gun in 1857 by the Sonora Exploration and
Development company. Sometimes known
as the Heintzelman mine after one of the
stockholders, Major Heintzelman. the
Cerro Colorado was reported by Sylvester
Mowery in 1859 as destined "to become
more famous than any of the great mines
of Old Mexico. From a late letter it is
claimed that the ores thus far smelted yield
the astonishing average of $950 per ton."
Up to the outbreak of the Civil war the
Cerro Colorado produced over $2, 000, 000
in silver. The Union owners were driven
out. For a time Raphael Plummely, early
author and secessionist took over. But with
the removal of Arizona's garrisons the
Apaches went on the rampage. In a short
time the mines, buildings and hoisting
works were destroyed. The place was aban-
doned.
During the confusion the rich deposits
were high-graded by all who dared come
into the Apache infested country. Large
quantities of ore were taken by Mexicans,
and Patrick Hamilton in 1884 stated that
the town of Saric, Sonora, was built from
the proceeds of the plundered Cerro Colo-
rado.
I soon realized that days could be spent
prowling the Cerro Colorado and the sur-
rounding region. As the objective of the
trip was the Indian glyphs we moved on
toward the Guijus. Our winding road was
slow but good. Gradually we climbed into
a grass covered valley that was bordered by
two slate-colored ridges.
After passing a sign reading Arivaca
Placers we began to see the ruins of adobe
buildings, the evidence of the once popu-
lous mining camp of Las Guijus. In Eng-
lish this translates "rubble or conglom-
erate." Shorty commented on the long since
removed residents of the dwelling, "That's
Pauley's place — he fell down a shaft and
died.
We found Jesus Caficz's shack under the
mesquites bordering the draw below the
tungsten mill and airfield of Arizona's big-
gest producers of the metal, Fernstrom and
Co. The old miner was busy crushing tung-
sten float in an old iron crucible when we
drove up. After introductions Johnny and
18
THE DESERT MAGAZINE
I wandered around his place while he and
Shorty caught up with their gossip.
Canez still operated in the methods of
his forefathers. Near his well was an old
style arrastre. His power for moving the
shaft, to which two heavy grinding stones
were attached, were his burros. I had seen
the remains of old arrastres in the La Pla-
centa region of Newhall, California, but
this was the first time I actually had seen
one working.
After Shorty and Canez had their visit
I learned something of the old miner's life.
He had been born in Arivaca in 1876 and
as a child had known the time when the
Apache were ravaging the region. Very
little of his 70 years had been spent away
from the Arivaca and Guijus region.
I steered the conversation to Indians.
He said, "Si. The old Apache trail came
down through the high country from the
Tucson range. At the Guijus it swung east.
From the Cerro Colorado they raided down
into the Sopori, across the Santa Cruz val-
ley and into the Santa Rita range."
According to Canez, the Guijus and Ari-
vaca country originally had been inhabited
by the Papago. History records that at the
time of Kino, around 1600, the Sobaipuris,
a Piman speaking people dwelt in the re-
gion. Research is yet insufficient to tell
much about these people other than that
they spoke the same language as the Pima
and Papago.
My query as to pottery sherds brought
out that they were to be found on every
wash in the region. Canez's nephew Jose
Shorty Thome, sailor turned prospector, Jesus Canez and bis nephew Jose Juan.
Juan had even dug up a whole pot in which
there was the skeleton of an infant. Cafiez
had been disturbed about that and had
made the boy re-bury the bones.
Shorty Thome looks on as old Jesus Canez pans gravel from a nearby placer.
Taking me to the edge of the wash where
there was a gap in the trees Canez pointed
out northeast to a high barren mountain.
"On top of that mountain there is the
proof that Indians were here. For up there
are picture writings in abundance."
This was the clue I was seeking. Possibly
these were Miguel's glyphs?
Shorty and Canez planned to go up to
Pescara Vieja, the gap in the Guijus range
that leads to Arivaca, to look at some gold
claims. So Johnny and I decided to search
for the Indian writings. We already had
named it Glyph peak.
After crossing the wash wc traveled
northeast from Canez's place. As a quartz
vein lay in the direction we traveled, we
had to be careful that we did not tumble
into the prospect holes. Going was fair
if one kept a watch out for Spanish bayo-
nets, opuntia, and bisnaga. There were also
rainbow cacti, ocotillo, and other species
in abundance.
An hour's hike up ravines and over low
hills brought us to the base of the moun-
tain. We took time out in a shady canyon.
While we had found a small series of
glyphs on the hill southward there was no
evidence of Indian occupation along the
banks of the draw.
We heard a rustle in the dense thicket
up the ravine. With a crackling of branches
four javelina, the wild hog of the South-
west, trotted out into the open. With hair
bristling a large boar unhurriedly led the
JANUARY, 1946
19
others up the far side of the canyon and out
of sight.
The climb up the side of the mountain
was rugged. The andesitic float and slick
glass made footing bad on the steep sides.
At every bench we thought we had reached
the summit and looked for glyphs on the
outcroppings. But finally we did reach a
wide bench that sloped upward to the
rocky summit.
Johnny reached the summit before 1 did.
He let out a howl, "This place is covered
with Indian writings!"
When 1 puffed up to reach him I saw
that this was no over-statement. The entire
area for some 100 square yards was spotted
with petroglyph bearing brownish-grey
andesitic rock. They ranged in size to boul-
ders and slabs 30 feet in diameter.
Close examination indicated that the
glyphs had not been too deeply incised and
were well weathered. But their condition
was excellent. There was a profusion of
mazes, meanders, scrolls and swastikas. Of
animals there were definitely mountain
sheep and deer. In addition to tarantulas
and gila monsters there were hundreds of
lizards and snakes.
But the most important clue to their
origin were the human figures. One of
the most interesting was that of a kneeling
man blowing a scroll from his mouth. But
the key pictures wete those of men playing
flutes. For these were similar to those
painted on the early red and buff pottery
of the ancient desert people whom the Pima
call the Hohokam, "people who have
gone."
Of course one immediately wonders
when he starts studying a series of petro-
glyphs, Who made these? How old are
they?
The flute players and general technique
identified the glyphs as Hohokam. With
this identification we were able to guess
at their approximate age. According to the
present system of chronology used by ar-
cheologists in the Hohokam area, they
could not have been pecked on the rocks
less than 700 years ago.
Johnny's first reaction to the glyphs was
justified. There is only one place in Ari-
zona where I have seen glyphs in number
and condition equal to those in the Guijus.
And that is at Willow springs on the old
Hopi salt trail 14 miles northwest of Tuba
City, Arizona. The beauty of it all at Gui-
jus is that there is no evidence of vandal-
ism.
The shades of evening were creeping
down the sides of the canyons when we left
our great picture book on the rocks. West-
ward the sun-tanned valley of the Altar,
all shadow and light, gracefully dipped and
then rose in a great sweep to the Papago s
sacred Baboqujvari, the mountain of bavac
kivol. the Belted Cliffs.
Prizes to Photographers
The camera clan is loose on the desert again with plenty of gas. and
a fair supply of films, shooting some pictures that are very good, some
not so good, and others — well you know what happens when you for-
get to turn the roll or expose 'em too long.
Anyway, Desert wants to get some of those good pictures — so we
can share them with all our readers. We are going to make it worth
your while to send a few of the best ones to us — with prizes for the
winners every month in 1946.
So the photographers will know well in advance what shots to take
for this contest, following is the complete schedule for 1946:
JANUARY — {Contest closes January 20) — Lights and Shadows.
Landscapes, dunes, cliffs, etc., with fine shadow effects.
FEBRUARY — Water on the Desert. Any subject pertaining to
water, from a canteen to a cloudburst, including lakes and
waterholes.
MARCH— Desert Camping. Any phase of camp life.
APRIL — Desert Characters. Every old-timer on the desert is a
possible subject.
MAY — COVER CONTEST. Must be vertical 9xl2's. First prize is
$15.00; 2nd prize $10.00. $5.00 for each acceptable picture
submitted by the non-winners.
JUNE — Desert in Blossom. Either landscapes or close-ups of the
wildflowers in place.
JULY — Burros. The best burro picture.
AUGUST — Rock Climbing. Action shots of those who venture in
high places.
SEPTEMBER — Reptiles. That includes lizards, snakes and tor-
toises of the desert.
OCTOBER — Signboards. Shots of unusual signs located in the
desert country.
NOVEMBER — Sunsets. Best sunsets in black and white.
DECEMBER — Animals. Foxes, rabbits, deer, mountain sheep,
cougars, antelope, beaver, etc. Must be denizens of the
desert Southwest, caught in the open.
PRIZES — With the exception of cover awards given above, the
monthly prizes will be $10 for 1st place; $5.00 foT 2nd place,
and $2.00 each for non-winning photos accepted for publica-
tion.
HERE ARE THE RULES
1— Prints must be on black and white, 5x7 or larger, printed on
glossy paper.
2— All entries must be in the Desert Magazine office by the 20th
of the contest month.
3 — Prints will be returned only when return postage is enclosed,
4 — Contests are open to both amateur and professional photo-
graphers. Desert Magazine requires hrst and full publication rights
of prize winning pictures only.
5— Time and place of photograph are immaterial except that
they must be from the desert Southwest,
6 — fudges will be selected from Desert's editorial staff, and
awards will be made immediately after the close of the contest each
month.
7 — Each photograph submitted should be fully labeled as to
subject, time, place. Also as to technical data: shutter, speed, hour
of day, etc.
ADDRESS ALL ENTRIES TO PHOTO EDITOR, DESERT MAGAZINE,
TH 2kteftZL m " GranE
EL CENTRO, CALIFORNIA
20
THE DESERT MAGAZINE
Wood's roadside cactus shop near Tucson, Arizona.
(2t^t5man oft tk*
&<zctu5 'Peiett
Herb Wood began making tables and chairs of cactus wood because he
did not have the money to provide store furniture when he and his family
built their home on the Arizona desert. Herb is still making cactus furniture
— but today there are customers eager to buy his products. For he is a
master craftsman.
By NANCY LUNSFORD
Photos by Bill Sears for Western Ways Picture Service
jl ERB WOOD, the cabinet maker of
J-J the desert, was once a stonemason
in Pennsylvania. But a series of in-
cidents transferred him to the Arizona des-
ert, and now he is using his talents fitting
together bits of cactus wood and making
sturdy, beautiful furniture.
The first time I visited his shop, located
at the cross roads just outside of Tucson,
he showed me a tabletop which he was just
completing. The beautiful mosaic design,
made from different varieties of cactus
wood, and worked into an intricate pattern
of texture and color was one of the most
unusual and lovely things I had ever seen.
I was curious about how he had started his
unusual industry.
He is one of the few craftsmen who make
real furniture from the natural wood of the
arid Southwest, and he began by necessity.
He needed furniture for his own home;
the cactus wood was available, so he set to
work. Neighbors admired the furniture in
his house, wanted some of their own, and
so a business started.
Herb Wood now makes furniture for
many of the rambling ranch-style homes
which dot the mountain foothills surround-
ing Tucson. But he still lives in the rock
house he built for his family when they
came to the West many years ago. And in
the house are all of his original pieces of
desert furniture.
For many years tourists have been buy-
ing ash trays and other small objects of
cactus wood to take home with them. They
are charming little novelties to take east.
Herb Wood makes these too, but his chief
work is constructing the beautifully pol-
ished, intricately made pieces of furniture
from aged wood that is polished by sun
and sand and time.
Many eastern visitors stop at Herb
Wood's little crossroads shop. They stop
to buy a small novelty and stay to admire
the tables, chairs, coffee tables, lamps,
bookcases and other heavy objects he has
JANUARY, 1946
21
wife and five children and the little money
he had left after spending nine years in a
plaster cast.
He spent his capital for land in the des-
ert, and started to make a home with his
own skill and the five dollars still in his
pocket.
The family camped on the desert while
their home was being built. The face of the
land was covered with rocks, and so, with
the help of his family, the former stone-
mason built a house.
After the house was finished, it gave
shelter, but there was yet a need for furni-
ture. Herb Wood again looked around for
native materials. As he wandered over the
desert land, he saw the skeletons of the
giant cactus. He tested the wood. The first
piece he picked up fell apart in his hand,
rotten and crumbling. A bit farther on he
found a dead plant which had not fallen to
the ground. The weather had stripped off
its protective layer of spines and flesh, ex-
posing the wood to the elements. It was
firm and well cured.
That evening he worked on the cactus
skeletons he had gathered during his walk.
No one piece was large enough. But no one
stone is big enough to build a house, so he
The ribs of the saguaro remain firm
and bard long after the fleshy part of
the trunk has decayed away.
One of the inlaid tabletops made by
fitting small pieces of cactus together
in an original pattern.
made from the wood of the saguaro and the
..holla cactus. Individual pieces of the cac-
tus wood are not strong enough or thick
enough to build furniture. But by working
tiny bits into a pattern of inlay, he has
combined both beauty and strength.
He has developed a paste which hardens,
matches the cactus wood perfectly, and fills
in the tiny holes which grow in the cholla
wood. The paste formula is his secret,
worked out after months of experiment. It
is made partially from the dust of the wood
itself.
Herb Wood came to Arizona many years
ago. He arrived with very little money and
a lot of family. He was a contractor and a
stonemason in Pennsylvania, but an injured
back forced him to give up his work and
seek a favorable climate. The doctor said
no more heavy work. He arrived with his
22
THE DESERT MAGAZINE
Herb Wood in his workshop. Cholla and sagtiaro ivood are combined in this
huge grandfather clock.
JANUARY, 1946
When the wood-bunting trips are not loo long, Wood
takes a couple of burros to bring in bis loot.
started making his furniture as he had al-
ways built with stone, fitting it together,
piece by piece.
He worked steadily after that first night,
going into the desert every day and gather-
ing the cured wood, and at night making it
into articles of furniture for his rock house.
Chairs and tables were completed, but he
needed a lamp.
The base was simple — a section of cactus,
cut to the proper size and rubbed smooth.
The lamp shade he fashioned from sections
of thin cactus wood, fastened to a frame.
Neighbors asked if he would make some
for their own homes, and he consented.
More and more orders came until he
opened a shop near his home and began to
devote all his time to furniture making.
I met Herb Wood at his shop. The walls
were lined with his tools, but after looking
at the fine inlay tops of the tables 1 knew
the most important one was invisible — the
patience which was necessary for fitting to-
gether the tiny pieces into their beautiful
designs.
The valleys and the low places where
water is closer to the surface are his best
hunting grounds for wood. He starts out on
a wood gathering trip early in the morning,
before the sun comes up over the eastern
mountains, and heads out into the desert
in his ancient pick-up truck. Or, if the dis-
tance is not great he may take a burro. His
truck is well equipped for desert travel. It
can find its way through washes filled with
In the saguaro forests of southern Arizona there are always
dead saguaro trunks to be found.
rubbed to a satin smooth finish. The mosaic
is so smooth that the top looks as if it had
been made from a single piece of curiously
marked wood.
In making the tabletop he uses a piece
of heavy plywood as a base, and fits the bits
of cactus wood together, carrying the com-
plicated pattern in his head as he works,
much as does a Navajo rug weaver.
The first section of the saguaro rib is put
on the board and fastened in place with
glue and tiny brads. To this is fitted an-
other rrece. little bits of the wood being
carefully chiseled off until they fit together
like the pieces of a jigsaw puzzle. It takes
him a week to make the top for a very small
stool.
Next to the workshop is the store where
the articles of cactus wood are for sale to
townspeople and eastern visitors. Mrs.
Wood works in the store while her hus-
band gathers his materials and makes his
furniture.
In the shop are articles ranging from ash
trays to large tables. You can see waste-
baskets made of saguaro ribs, lamps whose
bases are oddly twisted bits of cholla.
In one corner is a huge grandfather
clock, made entirely of carefully fitted
pieces of cholla wood.
"Lady from England ordered that
piece," Mr. Wood remarks. "Before the
war. Afraid maybe she hasn't much place
to put it now, but I'm keeping it for her.
She'll be back after it someday."
sand, over hills, and even up the sides of
mountains. He sees a towering saguaro
skeleton. The long, reaching arms have
rotted and dropped to the ground, where
they sprawl grotesquely around the base.
The outer flesh and spines of the plant
have long since fallen away, and the bare
ribs of the giant plant's skeleton reach up
toward the sky. The ribs, standing stark
and bare, are nature's version of the struc-
tural steel used in modern skyscrapers.
Herb takes out his saw, cuts down the giant
frame, and puts it into his truck.
He also searches for the skeleton of a
cholla, or jumping cactus. This variety
grows from the desert floor in a single
stalk, and then branches out into several
arms. When the plant is alive it is covered
with jointed sections bristling with long
springy spines. After it dies and the outer
flesh and spines weather away, the exposed
wood is punctured with tiny holes, like
Swiss cheese.
Before the day is gone, Wood's truck is
loaded with all varieties of desert woods,
and back he goes, churning through the
sand to town.
The finest portions of the wood are se-
lected for the furniture, and the oddly
shaped pieces are put aside to be made into
novelties for the tourist trade.
The real industry of the shop is making
the heavy pieces of furniture. The sections
are carefully fitted together in a tabletop
and the entire surface is sandpapered and
24
THE DESERT MAGAZINE
Desert centipede. Although the word means "hundred feet," this one, as you will count, has
less than half that number. Note there is a single pair of legs for each body segment. The
millipede is distinguishable because it has two pairs for each segment.
Matk oj) the
Gentlped.2
By WELDON D. WOODSON
/J WAS ALONE out in a stretch of
V/ country near Baker, one of my fav-
orite hunting grounds for insect life
in Southern California's Mojave desert. I
had turned over scores of stones that ranged
from six inches to two feet atross, with the
hope that the moist sand und( rneath would
yield something of interest. JlJut my half-
hour search had been fruitless!
As a final gesture I pushed over with
the toe of my boot an old pine four-by-four
a couple of feet long. But 1 could not make
out a single creature. I stood there idly for
a few moments and debated where to travel
to next. Then, abruptly, a three-and-a-half
inch brown centipede, with cross bars of
blue, emerged seemingly from out of the
earth itself. Its numerous legs worked up
and down like the oars of a galley slave
ship. Its long antennae quivered as it felt
its way around and around the tiny plot of
ground. It was now here, then there, always
on the move.
The first thing that struck me was the
profusion of wriggling legs. I tried to de-
termine the order in which they moved,
but could make little headway. I recognized
the species as Scolopendra heros, however,
and knew it had 21 pairs of legs, a single
pair to each segment. Its name, centipede,
means hundred feet, yet no species possess
precisely that number. Some have as few
as 15 pairs of legs, others up to 175 pairs.
They are found in the deserts of New
Mexico, Arizona, Utah, Nevada and South-
ern California. Their color may be yellow,
brown, red, blue or black, or a combina-
tion of these. They range in length from
about an inch to over six inches. Randall
Henderson tells me of a six-inch specimen,
"a huge, agile fellow with a vicious dis-
position," that he captured in the Kofa
mountains of Arizona several years ago.
Joseph M. Thuringer states that in 1924
while crossing the desert stretches between
Lordsburg and Mesilla Park, New Mexico,
he and a companion noticed in the road-
way a large number of centipedes from
five to seven inches in length. They all
headed north, and he concluded it was a
migration.
Regardless of where they are found or
under what condition, most people from
pioneer to contemporary times have re-
garded them with horror. As early as 1856,
an American journal described each leg as
a poison claw, capable of inflicting a
wound. "It does not undulate like a snake,"
the contributor wrote, "but moves with a
remarkable zig-zag weave from left to
right. An irritable fever follows its bite,
delirium ensues and danger for human life
is sometimes in the balance."
Then in the 80's two travel writers
named Sweet and Knox told of their en-
counters with the centipede. "As I was
lying flat on my back gazing up at the dear
blue sky from under the broad brim of my
Many stories are told about the
venomous character of the desert
centipede. Most of them are pure
fiction. This little creature with a
hundred legs more or less, does
have a pair of fang-like weapons,
and under provocation he will
use them to inject a mite of poi-
son into his annoyer. But his of-
fensive equipment is designed
primarily to insure his food sup-
ply — and he'll not bother you if
you accord him the same treat-
ment.
sombrero," relates one, "something seemed
to take form in that otherwise cerulean
expanse. Upon removing the headgear, 1
was not very agreeably surprised to find
hanging thereto, on the brim which had
overshadowed my forehead, a giant centi-
pede." He concluded that he was most
fortunate to escape the bite of such a pois-
onous creature.
Finally, T. S. Van Dyke, one of the early
explorers of the deserts of Southern Cali-
fornia, in 1886 wrote concerning the cen-
tipede. He explained that they are hideous-
looking things, with each leg terminating
in a hard, sharp point like the tail of a
scorpion. He describes two species, one
nearly white, the other a greenish color.
"The touch of their feet upon bare flesh,"
he states, "is said to be incurably poison-
ous." A careful investigator, he reported
that he had never been able to find any
definite case of anyone injured from it,
though making many enquiries.
The belief that each leg constitutes a
fang fed by poison glands has been held
not only by persons of the last century, but
by many people of today. They say that
when it crawls upon a person, it leaves in
livid spots the outline of its whole body.
Another heresay is that wherever it treads,
the flesh falls out and decays. This in fic-
tion is known as "The Mark of the Centi-
pede."
Laboratory tests prove the fallacy of all
JANUARY, 1946
2h
The Jerusalem cricket and the centipede. The cricket, although not poisonous, can
overcome the venomous centipede. It chops it up into small sections
with its powerful jaws.
this. Let us take a look at a typical desert
centipede. It is disclosed that poison glands
are situated solely in its head-part and not
at the base of each leg. They feed only the
second pair of legs which have been modi-
fied into fangs. The fangs are hollow and
there is a tiny opening near their tip ends.
The venom flows through them and into
the cut made in the flesh by their sharp
points.
I have been bitten only once by a desert
centipede. I was near Daggett to capture
insect life for laboratory study. I lifted up
a stone and discovered underneath it a
4-inch creature. I unscrewed the lid of a
quart jar and placed it in front of the bust-
ling creature. It veered to one side, how-
ever, just as the tips of the antennae
touched the rim of the receptacle. I picked
up a stick and repeatedly tried to steer it
into the container. But it swerved and
dodged and parried everyone of my shoves.
I lost patience. Reaching down, I
snatched it up in my right hand and tossed
it into the jar — but not until it had dug its
fangs into the soft flesh of the palm of the
hand. The pain was sharp, like that from a
needle. An examination revealed two tiny
incisions, those from the fang points. The
subsequent symptoms were a little swell-
ing, a slight headache. There were no after
effects. This is about the maximum injury
from the desert species.
One wonders, then, how did the idea
start that wherever it crawls upon a person,
it leaves the imprint of its body. Are the
many stories of its victims disfigured for
life to be discounted entirely?
There arc several possible explanations.
The tendency is for mankind to exaggerate
the poisonous nature of unfamiliar crea-
tures, even to the extent of bestowing upon
scientifically recognized non-venomous life
virulent properties. I have heard persons
mistakenly assert that such innocent desert
denizens as the chuckawalla, red-spotted
toad and spotted bat are dangerously pois-
onous. The centipede nevertheless has
chalked up against it the fact that it act-
ually has a pair of fangs and that medical
records are on file that chart the symptom
picture from its bite. This, coupled with
a lively imagination, has led those who do
not know the truth to accept the oft-re-
peated story that its multiple legs are used
not only for locomotive purposes, but also
as lethal weapons.
There is another possible explanation.
The tip ends of the legs of centipedes are
brittle and readily break off. It is possible
that in some instances as it crawled upon a
person it left embedded a few of these
germ-laden tips and caused an infection.
This would account in part for the legend
of "The Mark of the Centipede." In 1882,
W. M. Thomson confirmed this hypo-
thesis as he wrote of the species that in-
habits the deserts of central Palestine and
Phoenecia. "The bite of the centipede is
not fatal, but is said to be extremely pain-
ful and very slow to heal," he stated. "The
Arabs say that it strikes its claws into the
flesh, and there they break off and re-
main, thus rendering the wound more
troublesome."
Actually, nature has equipped it with
poison not to use against man, but in order
that it might be able to subdue its insect
prey and defend itself against natural en-
emies. It strikes a human being only when
it inadvertently crawls upon him and is
molested, either accidentally or deliber-
ately. At night it forages for food. Should
it come upon a crab spider, soldier beetle
or silver-spotted grasshopper, for example,
it grabs hold of them with a portion of its
forelegs and gives them the quietus with an
injection of poison.
Against larger opponents, however, it
often comes out the loser. The Jet -ialem
cricket chops it up into small sections with
its powerful jaws. The scorpion delivers
the death blow by means of a single swing
down of its poison-tipped tail. The taran-
tula pins it down with its stout legs and
paralyzes it into submission with its own
poison. Put two centipedes together and
they will intertwine in mortal combat, their
multitudinous legs so mixed up the ob-
server will be unable to determine which
legs belong to which. Their most formid-
able foes are certain species of birds,
against which they are unable to cope.
To minimize the poisonous propensi-
ties of the centipede, however, is not to
discount the part that it has played in the
lore and tradition of the desert. As a con-
cluding example, W. H. Robinson {The
Story of Arizona, 1919) tells of an in-
cident that occurred in 1889. A stage coach
en route to Phccnix had as one of its pas-
sengers an old-timer who was making clear
to those unfamiliar with the desert the na-
ture of some of the venomous creatures.
"Now when you git to the Lemon House,"
said the Arizonan, "and you take off your
shoes to go to bed you wanta put 'em tops
down. If you don't, by mornin' they'll be
half fu'I of them centipedes. You see, they
crawl in after dark to get away from the
night air."
Thus does the centipede acquire a repu-
tation it really doesn't deserve. The next
time your old prospector friend explains
the four- inch scar on his left jaw as the
work of the centipede, don't indicate in
any way that you d'sbeheve him. To do so
might hurt his feelmgs. But you can walk-
away with the knowledge that it is merely
one of his tall tales.
26
THE DESERT MAGAZINE
But the spider is too quick for them. It pins them down with its stout legs and paralyzes them through its poison-jed fangs.
JANUARY, 1 946 27
WORK TO BE RESUMED ON
DAM IN PYRAMID CANYON
Bids were scheduled to be opened De-
cember 21 for the construction of Davis
dam, located in the Colorado river 20 miles
above Needles, California.
Preliminary work was done at the dam-
site before the war, but following Pearl
Harbor the project was shelved.
The dam is to be 180 feet high from
bedrock, is to be constructed primarily
for power development. Cost of the pro-
ject is estimated at $47,000,000 for dam,
spillway, power plant and appurtenant
works, and $30,000,000 for power trans-
mission system. The successful bidder will
be allowed 1200 days to do the job, which
means completion by mid- 1949.
The damsite is in Pyramid canyon 34
miles by improved highway from King-
man, Arizona. It is approximately 67 miles
downstream from Boulder dam. Davis will
be the sixth dam in the lower Colorado
river, the other five being Laguna and
Imperial diversion dams above Yuma, the
Indian diversion and Metropolitan stor-
age dams above Parker, and Boulder dam
at Las Vegas.
Davis dam is to be an earth and rock
filled embankment rising 1 38 feet above
the bed of the stream, with a reservoir
capacity of 1,940,000 acre feet of water.
Its power plant is designed for five gen-
erating units with a total production of
225,000 kilowatts.
The following figures cover some of
the major items in construction :
Concrete in the dam, spillway, power
plant and appurtenant structures: 445,000
cubic yards.
Excavation of earth and rock. 5,530,000
cubic yards.
Earth and rock fill in the dam embank
ments: 3,800,000 cubic yards.
Reinforcement bars in concrete: 15,500,
000 pounds.
Hard Rock Shorty q^AL.
of Death Valley . . . yjA
' Yep, the laziest man that ever
come to Death Valley was ol' Pack-
rat Pete," opined Hard Rock Shorty.
"The ol' cuss was too lazy to earn
a livin' and too stubborn to live-
on charity. At one time 'r 'nuther he
wuz grubstaked by every tenderfoot
that come to this country — but he
never did bring in no gold. He'd jes
take his burros and mosey out to the
nearest spring and camp there 'til
the bacon and beans wuz gone.
"I ain't swearin' it's true, but they
say Pete put popcorn in his flapjacks
so they'd flop themselves over.
"Pete figered out a way to live
without workin'. An' that's how he
got his name. There was a nest o'
packrats livin' in the rocks up by
Pete's shack, and he made friends
with 'em. Then he began teach in'
em the difference between gold and
other metals. Finally got 'em so they
would raid the miners' cabins swap-
■pin' nickles for five dollar gold
pieces. Them was the ol' days afore
we had this foldin' money. Pete
really educated them little traders.
Pisgah Bill's daughter that lives in
the east once sent him a box of
chocolate candy for Christmas, but
when Bill got around to eatin' the
candy, the box was full of rocks, and
Pete got all the chocolates,
"But them packrats didn't know
everything. Once Pisgah Bill put out
some poisoned beans to kill the var-
mits that was gettin' his chickens.
An' them packrats brought the beans
home to Pete's grub box.
"Yep. We buried 'im with his
boots on."
28
THE DESERT MAGAZINE
I
Living in the wilderness, away from the temptation
of easy gadget-buying, the South family have im-
provised most of their necessities from what the
desert has provided. This month Marsha! tells how
he used primitive materials to fashion an artistic
cruet from a "civilized" bottle found along the trail.
By MARSHAL SOUTH
T WAS on one of our infrequent trips to "civilization"
( / that Rider saw the bottle. It lay in the partial concealment
— of a clump of dry desert grass at the base of a cluster of
vicious cholla. Over it, in the slanting rays of the sun, a wiry
mesquite tree cast a lacy pattern of shadow. Between the spots
of sunlight and shade, as our car movement altered their posi-
tion, the bottle flashed gleams of fire like some gigantic diamond.
"A bottle!" Rider shouted excitedly. "A most beautiful
bottle! Stop! Stop!"
So we stopped. And he and Rudyard, with Victoria at their
heels, spilled from our ancient conveyance and went racing
away among the creosote bushes.
They came trailing back, exclaiming and chattering excitedly.
Rider was carrying the bottle, "Look," he said, holding it up.
"It's slender and graceful. We might make something out of it."
So the bottle, which once had held in its heart the glowing
vintage of Virginia Dare, went home with us and was carried
carefully up the precipitous trail to the summit of Ghost moun-
tain.
"Now, what arc* you going to do with it?" I asked. "It can't
just lie around here. You've got to find a use for it or we'll have
to banish it to the dump."
All three of them went into a huddle, "We might make a
vinegar cruet out of it," Rudyard suggested finally. He wrinkled
his nose and squinted fiercely at the bottle from various angles.
So a vinegar cruet it was to be. We took stock of our resources
— and of the bottle — and fell to work.
The first thing was to disguise and embellish the bottlt
mouth, which, though it had spilled forth in its hey-day the
poetry of joy-producing amber drops, was nevertheless woe-
fully prosaic in its utilitarian screw top. Beauty must weave
some sort of a spell over this eye-sore. We invoked the desert
goddess of Necessity — who, as everyone knows is the mother
of Invention. And she did not fail us. In a surprisingly short
time the job was done and the bottle, haughty now with a brand
new top and tip of homemade plastic, derived chiefly from the
useful catsclaw, was laid aside to await the fashioning of its
handle.
We hunted around quite a while before we found a piece
of wood to suit us. Finally we hit upon a long-seasoned section
of desert growth that had Iain for years in dry storage awaiting
the possibility of just such a need. This was a bit of catsclaw
wood also. Very, very old and rich and red. It was quite a job to
saw it down and cut out a piece of heart-wood that was suitable
for our purpose. But at last the task was done. And the new
handle, shaped, rubbed down and polished, was ready for at-
taching. This we contrived by the aid of a couple of bands of
scrap sheet copper, discovered among the odds and ends in the
storeroom. Hammered down, polished, fitted and riveted, these
did the job nicely. Our bottle had by now begun to take on all
the airs of elegance.
But we still needed a stopper. "A splendiferous stopper,"
according to the specifications of Victoria, whose ambitions
now were fired to the point that she demanded I should make
one representing "flittering angels," However I did not feel,
at the moment, quite equal to this order — and anyhow I was
Ghost Mountain craft work. Ocotilio, creosote bush and
catsclaw all contributed to the fashioning of this little
engraved dish and vinegar cruet.
From watercolor by the author.
a little vague in my mind as to what a "flittering angel" might
look like. So I compromised by whittling a nice white section
of ocotilio wood into the shape of a little figure seated upon
a stump. This, after some persuasive sales talk, Victoria accepted,
and it was installed as a stopper — the completing item of our
salvaged and glorified bottle. Thus, with desert scraps and odds
and ends Rudyard's vision of the vinegar cruet came into actual-
ity. It has been a good vinegar cruet. And if the liquid which
now glows in its crystal heart has at all soured its disposition, it
at least says nothing and gives no sign.
"But the dish," says Rudyard, peering over my shoulder at
what I have written. "Haven't you forgotten to tell about the
dish?"
I was coming to that. But the dish isn't important. I put it
together with the bottle because I thought that the bottle, by
itself, looked austere and lonely. And the little dish has an
entirely different disposition, calculated to keep anything in
good humor. For one thing its inside, where the tracery of en-
graving is, is a cheerful tartar red. And the outside of it — the
part you can't see in the picture — is a rich walnut color. What
do you suppose the little dish is made of? No, you'd never
guess. It's fashioned from the creosote bush. The desert is a good
mother. She will give you almost anything if you stay there
long enough and have patience to try to understand and love
I he things which she holds in her heart.
We are still in exile. And now the winds roar down among the
bleak foothills and wrench savagely at the high-sloped roof of
our little dwelling place. Sometimes we tremble for the fasten-
ings of that roof— fearing for the safety of our little friends the
cheerful skunk family who live up under it in the mysterious re-
cesses of the attic.
We doubt, however, if the skunks ever give the wind a
thought. In the very height of storms they gaily prance up and
down along the board ceiling which stretches above our heads
and hides their activities from our view. Weird, these tramp-
lings. One would think that darksome ghosts paced to and fro
JANUARY, 1946
29
or played tag up there among the shadows and cobwebs of the
beams. Sometimes the big packrat who lives out in the porch,
among the picks and shovels and tools, pauses in his busy
stacking and shifting of sticks and nails and seems to listen to
the "ghost dancers" overhead. But they don't hold his interest
long. He stUl has a great quantity of nails and spikes to move
and pile. And as he does not yet seem quite sure where they
ought to go, and is always changing his piles, it probably will
take him a long while to finish the job.
Away back in the hills from where our little dwelling dreams
beside its splashing spring there is a gorge where the shadows
of the slopes and mighty rocks crowd close upon the ribbon of
growth that winds down from the higher levels toward the
sun-glared whiteness of the desert floor. It is cool here, even
in the hot days of summer. A cool, branch-shadowed silence
that is broken only by the soft singing of the wind as it goes
wandering down toward the lowlands. There is a murmur of
trickling water too, if you go up high enough. And places where
the grass grows and the willows arch and wild grapes hang in
thickets over tiny waterfalls whose music is like that of a silver
flute to those whose days have known mostly the glare of sere
rocks and the scorch of waterless sand.
So, perhaps, it is not surprising that as often as it can be
managed, and when the weather is favorable, we gather a little
food into a basket or carrying sack and tramp off up the ravine
to spend a day listening to the whispered stories of the wind
and those marvelous tales of fantasy and imagination which
only a little brook, on its way to lose itself in the desert sands,
is capable of telling.
The children love these excursions. For one thing the holiday
usually represents for them the successful outcome of many days
of eloquent argument for a one day vacation from lessons. And,
for another, the outing offers all sorts of adventurous possi-
bilities — from the discovery of coon and coyote tracks in the
trail dust to the chance that good fortune will put them in the
way of an undiscovered Indian cache or some arrowheads or
attractive pottery sherds.
Then, too, there is always the chance of meeting again the
Hermit Horse.
Now the Hermit Horse is an institution around these parts.
It was not long after we had been deposited by the U.S. Navy
in our little "St. Helena" (maybe Napoleon would have been
more contented in the desert) that we first met him (the horse,
not Napoleon). He was wandering over the landscape with
a peculiarly independent air which all free things have. It was
something not quite natural in a man-dominated horse.
But he saw us and made off. "Ha," exclaimed Rudyard,
reacting to a generous priming of Buffalo hunts and George
Catlin stories, " — See! See! A wild horse!"
But the rest of us knew better. There were too many signs of
past years of enslavement about that vanishing brown splash
among the bushes to admit of any such romantic explanation.
"He's hiding out," Rider observed shrewdly. "He's run away
and he's come to the desert, like we did, to find freedom."
And so it proved. For after many days we came to know the
Hermit Horse very well. Yes, he had run away — that we soon
came to know by close observation. For it was not long before
the Hermit Horse accepted us as friends — or at least as part
of his domain. There is not much, even to a suspicious horse, to
suggest civilized cruelty and saddle and-bridle slavery in the
sight of naked sun-browned figures slipping silently through the
bushes. And not much in the sight of the tracks of bare feet
in the trail dust to suggest the toilsome hauling of heavy loads.
So the Hermit Horse— with his pitiful sway back and the white
marks of ancient saddle sores — accepted us. Sometimes when
we rounded a sudden bend of the trail we would meet him,
almost face to face. On such occasions both the Hermit and
ourselves would stop abruptly. And he would survey us for
a moment or so from his soft, deep brown eyes. Then quickly and
quietly he would step aside and vanish like a shadow among the
brush tangles. He trod softly. He moved with the stealth and
skill of a deer. More than once we offered him handfuls of
grain. But he would have none of them. Memory of slave days
was still too fresh. He respected us, but he was taking no chances.
There were wild grapes still upon the vines in the deep
canyon when we made our last excursion. Not many, to be
sure, for the birds had feasted for a long while on the fruit. But
still the few that remained were sweet and wholesome and made
a nice dessert to our simple meal. There is this about wild grapes
— as about all other wild fruits and food. They are like the true
children of nature in that they have little artificial polish but
a great deal of sterling worth. The particular complamt that the
wild grape is nearly all seeds and skin, with but little juice,
is true. But on the other hand the "civilized" grape is a blown
up product of pulp and water in which real nourishment and
food value has all but vanished. The wild product has the
strength of the earth in it. Harder to eat, yes. But there is
infinitely more health and strength in it than in its glorified
relation. Sadly one is forced to the conclusion that show and real
worth no more consort together than do comfort and health.
Now the wind is rising and there is a hint of snow in the
air. "But that," cry our three merry hearted youngsters, dancing
expectantly, "only means that Christmas is coming."
• • •
TO RISE
Dawn always comes, however long
The night has been.
Right always wins, however wrong
And scourge and sin
First seem to conquer. Let us then
With enterprise
Meet every step we would attain.
Thus shall we rise.
—Tanya South
IN 1946
. . . take the thrilling trip on mule back down Rainbow Trail 'raid
colorful scenes so vivid no artist could portray ... to the most
spectacular of all national monuments . . . RAINBOW BRIDGE.
Rest at picturesque RAINBOW LODGE, backed by the breath-
taking span of Navajo Mountain . . . where comfortable lodging,
excellent food and hospitality are, as before, directed by Bill and
Mrs. Wilson.
Write Bill Wilson, Tonalea, Arizona, for Rates
and a Brochure Describing "The Rainbow."
30
THE DESERT MAGAZINE
LETTERS
9 9 9
Golden Rule for Rockhounds . , .
Hollywood, California
Dear Mr. Henderson:
Mr. Lelande Quick touched upon a sub-
ject of great importance in the December
issue of Desert Magazine and I hope it
will not be allowed to drop without further
discussion. Farsighted men and women
have worked for years for forest conserva-
tion, wildlife conservation and soil conser-
vation, as well as for the preservation of
our natural beauty spots. The time has now
come when those of us who are interested
in western gems and minerals should
awaken to the fact that unless we can have
a movement to conserve such things, our
hobby will soon become so limited that it
will offer little inducement to beginners.
The joy of collecting is vastly greater when
one can go out into the hills and find
things for himself, but today the desert
hills are rapidly being swept bare of every-
thing of a mineral nature worth carrying
off, not to mention tons of worthless rock.
Perhaps I feel more strongly in regard
to the matter because of my personal ex-
perience as a mineral dealer. A single in-
stance will serve as an example. In 1913
we discovered a deposit of handsome cut-
ting material which we visited about once
a year, often in the company of a group
of friends, bringing out what we could
carry easily to the nearest road a mile away.
Then one day the locality was described in
detail in one of the Los Angeles papers and
the next time we went up there we found
a good road all the way to the deposit and
trucks had hauled away enough material
to supply all the amateur gem cutters in
Southern California for years. Soon this
material was being sold for rock gardens
and fish ponds and the locality was per-
manently ruined.
Mr. Quick suggests that organizations
might file on desirable localities and thus
protect them. Our own experience does not
lead us to think that this will solve the
problem, although it might help. It would
not be possible to stand guard over the
claim with a shotgun, and nothing else
seems to be effective. We tried filing once
and as soon as our back was turned, .van-
dals tore our monuments down and went
off with everything in sight that appeared
to have the least value.
We feel that every earth-science organi-
zation should undertake a campaign of
education that would tend to make the
rock-hogs ashamed of themselves. Perhaps
we should take a little more time to preach
the doctrine of the Golden Rule, because
after all what better teaching has ever been
given to us?
W. SCOTT LEWIS
Tragedy in the Turtles . . .
Orange, California
Friend Henderson:
On a recent trip into the heart of the
Turtle mountains, I discovered that the
saguaro, which Walter Ford reported in
Desert Magazine, November 1944, has
been destroyed. It is broken off about eight
feet from die ground, broken as square as
possible to break a cactus. The remaining
trunk has soured to the base, the larger
limb fell to the southwest and one small
limb fell to the northeast. The saguaro was
alive when the accident happened, the
limb that fell to the northeast is still green
while those which have fallen to the south-
west have soured. This is indeed a real
loss to the desert.
C. E. SQUIRES
• • •
A Watch for a Compass . . .
Boulder. Colorado
Dear Desert:
I note in the November issue of Desert
Magazine, in your article on "Emergency
Kit Suggested for Vacationers, Rock
Hounds" you emphasize the importance of
carrying an extra compass just in case that
"you have lost that fancy floating-dial job
with its radium markings."
If one carries a watch it is unnecessary to
carry a compass. Just hold the watch face
up, with the hour hand pointing toward
the sun. The point on your dial half way
between the hour hand and the figure
twelve on the dial is straight south, varying
only as the standard time of your watch
varies from the movements of the sun.
Try it, any place, any time of day and
at any season of the year.
J. Q. BLUE
• a a
"Him Heap Good Boy" . . .
Oxnard, California
To Desert Magazine:
In 1904 or 1905 I was employed by the
Santa Fe railroad to operate the pumping
plant at Peach Springs, Arizona. There
I became acquainted with several of the
Hualpai Indians. I was fortunate to gain
the confidence of several members of this
tribe, who related to me some of their
tribal customs. I was told of the old war
between the Mojaves and the Hualpais and
about the peace treaty that followed and
has been strictly adhered to for several
generations.
My job at Peach Springs was to operate
the pumping plants on the shift from
6 p.m. to 6 a.m. One morning an Indian
stepped into the boiler house and critically
watched my every movement. Later told
me he was Havasupai.
When I had finished my work and was
getting a Little nervous from the close
scrutiny I was getting, this Indian stepped
up to me and asked, "You a good man?"
This question coming from an Indian
rather stumped me, but seeing his serious-
ness I finally convinced him that accord-
ing to my own ideas I thought I was a
pretty good man. He then stepped out to a
deep dry wash and jabbered a few minutes
to some one who finally came out of the
brush. It was his squaw. Well, I under-
went another half hour's scrutiny from
both. They exchanged a few words oc-
casionally and finally he stepped up to me
and patting mc on the shoulder produced
two letters, still sealed, addressed to this
Indian at Peach Springs. (I regret that I
have forgotten his name.)
He said, "You read 'em letters. My boy
he go Carlisle. Me and squaw no savvy
how read letters." So I opened the letters
and found their son's two-week report card
enclosed. I found it rather difficult to
translate the letters so they were fully un-
derstood, but regardless of my poor at-
tempts they continued to pat me on the
shoulder and repeat. "Him good boy. Him
my boy."
About once per month afttr that this old
couple would come in early in the morning
with a couple more letters for me to read.
Each time they brought me a present, a
basket, and once a Navajo rug which has
seen constant service since that time and
is now on my bed room floor. I soon began
to look forward to these visits and now
wish I had made notes so I could tell the
full story.
As time passed the boy was finally al-
lowed to play in the school band. Then the
band went to Washington to play for the
President. You can imagine the difficulty
I had trying to get this story to the parents
in its full significance. A very lonesome-
boy, according to his letters, but very
proud to tell his mother and father of the
honor shown him by permitting him to
play before the President of the United
States — the Big Chief of all the white-
people. Both parents shed tears and then
asked me to "read urn again." This had
to be repeated several times.
After perhaps a year of reading these let-
ters, I was transferred to some other station
but I spent some time explaining to the
man who relieved me what I had been
doing and asked him to continue should
the old Indians return.
I don't suppose these old folks are still
alive, but it is possible that "him heap
good boy" is alive and it is possible that
he remembers that his letters were read to
his parents by a man working nights at rhc-
Peach Springs pumping plant.
Seems rather pointless to write this to
you, I have no reason other than it might
fit into some one's story some time.
ROBERT N. ATMORE
JANUARY, 1946
31
But, We May be Wrong . . ,
Casa Grande, Arizona
Dear Mr. Henderson:
The first thing I do upon receiving a
copy of The Desert Magazine is to test my
"desert-brush lore" in the Desert Quiz.
Usually the questions are well pre-
sented, but in the December 1945 issue
two questionable statements came to my
attention. Question number five reads as
follows: Most poisonous among the mem-
bers of the desert insect world is the Vine-
garoon, Blackwidow spider, Tarantula, or
Centipede. I believe my elementary bio-
logy informed me that the above men-
tioned individuals are not insects but
arachnides. How about it? Question num-
ber seven : Amethyst is quartz which gets
its violet color from iron, manganese, cop-
per or zinc. Your answer is manganese.
Perhaps California amethysts do have
manganese as a coloring agent, but to date
I cannot find a mineralogist who will say
that the coloring in the mineral is due to
this statement. Analysis of the gem will
not show the presence of manganese.
I do not have the reference at hand but
remember reading in the book "The
Quartz Family of Minerals" that in Ger-
many amethysts were subjected to X-ray
bombardments and were caused to lose
their color. By rebombarding the crystals
the color could be restored. The conten-
tions were that the color in the stone is
purely a physical property.
Do you have information that shows
without a shadow of doubt that amethysts
contain manganese?
Attention Mr. Henderson:
Who knows, perhaps the coloring of our
gems is due to the Arizona air or sunshine,
at least most of our clan of the desert rats
are in the pink of condition.
CHARLES B. FLEMING, JR.
Friend Fleming: The questions
you raised are debatable. However,
in support of our answers, I will quote
the following, for what they are
worth: (1) Frederic Brewster Loomis
in FIELD BOOK OF COMMON
ROCKS AND MINERALS writes
"Amethyst is quartz with a violet
color, due to the presence of small
quantities of manganese." (2) Web-
ster gives this definition: "lnsecta —
In the broadest sense, a class of arth-
ropods comprising the true insects,
the Myriapoda. and the Arachnida."
—R. H.
* * «
Letter to Mr. Tenderfoot . . .
Los Angeles, California
Dear Sir:
Actually, this letter should be addressed
"Dear 1. Ama Tenderfoot," for I am an-
swering his letter in the December issue
of Desert.
I was once a tenderfoot, Mr. T., who
had never been initiated into the desert —
not until I met the Orr boys and their
friends in Los Angeles.
Well, being of the fair, gentle and so-
called weaker sex, I wasn't much interested
in dust and wind, nor did I care to get
chummy with rattlers, lizards and other
desert wildlife. But, reluctant to be a
wet blanket, I tagged along one weekend
just to see what it was like.
For some reason, Mr. T., I saw all dif-
ferently than you did. True, I too was
greeted by a wind. To me it was a bit an-
noying, but gradually 1 realized that it was
only caressing me — welcoming me to a
new experience.
Well, I married one of the Orr boys, and
by now the trips to the desert are some-
thing we all look forward to. We never
get enough of it. Now I go snake hunting,
and I have found the lizards to be very
harmless little fellows.
I am very sorry, Mr. T., that you did not
find the "hospitality, charm, fascination,
rapture and ecstasy" of a trip to our desert.
But don t you sort of envy us folks who
can? LEE ORR
• • *
We, Also, Wonder Why . . .
Pasadena, California
In one of your 1944 issues I found an ad
of the Borrego Lodge, Borrego, California,
I have written to them and gotten a court-
eous answer and a very nice folder. We
plan to drive down there for a stay in
December. I wonder why more of the
desert resorts do not advertise in the D.M.
If you have a list of the available resorts,
I will appreciate your sending me one.
TASSALIER FERRON
■ • a
For the Indian Service to Ponder . . .
Gambier, Ohio
Dear Mr. Henderson:
I have been watching with interest and
much concern the controversy that has
arisen as to whether the Indian crafts imi-
tations shall take over the market of tribal
handiwork.
Some of the manufactured Indian
jeweiry has been on the market here in the
middle west, but I don't believe it has sold
too well, as one doesn't see much of it worn,
yet the hand made artcrafts from Mexico
have a terrific sale. There is a small gift
shop in Gambier which sells a huge
amount of Mexican jewelry and other
wares and would sell more if it could be
had.
You say, "the Indian is a good crafts-
man, but he isn't much of a salesman ac-
cording to high pressure American stand-
ards — ." Don't you think right there is
where the United States Indian Service is
slumbering? Certainly this department has
the facilities and the means for advertising
Indian wares and there are hundreds of
gift shops and stores throughout the mid-
west and the east that would be very happy
to have jewelry, blankets, baskets, and pot-
tery. I don't believe price would be too
great a factor if the buying public could be
sure the merchandise was authentic.
I sincerely hope the Indians can be en-
couraged to continue their crafts. I dislike-
to think that on my next trip west I shall
be confronted by manufactured Indian
crafts.
SARA C. SULZF.R
CALEX1CO — On the Border . . .
will resume its annual presentation of the international
DESERT CAVALCADE
February 28, March 1 and 2, 1946
DESERT CAVALCADE PRESENTS IN COLORFUL PAGEANTRY
—Historic trek of the gallant Captain luan Bautista de Anza from
from Tubac to Monterey in 1774-76.
— The march of Kearny's army and the Mormon battalion.
—The Butterfield stage lines and the desert freighters.
— Reclamation oi Imperial valley and the disaster that threatened
when the Colorado river went wild in 19 05.
Calexico Winter Festival association invites you to enjoy three joyous
fiesta days in the border towns of Calexico and Mexicali.
SINGING DANCING ■ PARADE CARNIVAL
For seat reservations write DESERT CAVALCADE, Calexico, California.
Cavalcade
Pageant
presented
Friday Night
March 1, 1946
8:00 p. m.
in Open-Air
Theater
32
THE DESERT MAGAZINE
ARIZONA
Creator of Grand Canyon's
Yavapai Station Dies . . .
FLAGSTAFF— The man who added
much to the enjoyment and information of
visitors to Grand Canyon passed away in
Oakland, California, October 30, aged
76. He was Dr. John Campbell Merriam,
distinguished scientist, president emeritus
of Carneg ; e Institution, for many years
professor of pa'eontology at University of
California, one of the founders of Save-
the-Redwoods League, director of early
excavation at La Brea pits, Los Angeles,
regent of Smithsonian Institution, author
of The Living Past and The Garment of
God, executive of many scientific bod : es
and holder of many honors. It was in 1927
that Dr. Merriam became interested in
giving the Canyon visitor accurate scien-
tific information on its chief features. As a
result of his extended studies, farred Yava-
pai Point observation station, with its tele-
scopes, exhibits and daily lectures, was
opened in 1928 and financed by the Laura
Spellman Rockefeller Fund. As pres'dent
of Carnegie Institution he stimulated sci-
entific studies in many areas, including
Grand Canyon, where he sent special ex-
pedition? to solve geological problems.
First Indian "Pioneer" . . .
TUCSON — Arizona Pioneers Histori-
cal society, at its 6lst annual meeting
here November 17, elected new officers,
admitted 77 new members and discussed
plans for financing a building of its
own. The first Indian ever admitted to the
society's membership was unanimously
elected. He is Jose Alvarez, 75-year-old
Papago who for more than 30 years was a
laboratory assistant in University of Ari-
zona so'Is chemistry department. Gerald
Jones, Tucson attorney, was elected presi-
dent for a two-year term, replacing Mrs.
Tom Davenport. John C. Etchells, Tucson,
was re-elected treasurer. Mrs. Margaret
Strong, Tucson, was named recording sec-
retary, and Mrs. George F. Kitt, Tucson,
was re-elected historical secretary.
Some Salt Too? . . .
AJO — Three Ajo boys brought it in
alive — a struggling coyote with his legs
tied to a ten-foot pole, each end of which
the boys shouldered with their wriggling
captive dangling between. Ernest James,
Hansel Odom and Harold Dickson ex-
plained their technique: "Oh we just took
a forked stick and held its head while the
others tied its feet."
an the 2)edebt
Projects Funds Recommended . . -
YUMA — House appropriations com-
mittee on November 27 reduced from
$67,335,000 to $42,765,000 the amount
for reclamation projects coming out of
general treasury funds. General fund proj-
ects left in the bill and amounts recom-
mended were Gila project feast of Yuma) ,
$2,000,000 and Davis Dam project (Ari-
zona and Nevada) , $5,000,000. The com-
mittee also approved $3,000,000 from
Colorado River Dam Fund for Boulder
Canyon All -American Canal project, and
$250,000 from Colorado River Develop-
ment fund for investigation of use of wa-
ters of Colorado river and tributaries.
Flying Service Due in Yuma . . .
YUMA — According to announcement
in November by Marsh Aviation company
of Phoenix, Yuma soon will have a com-
mercial airport within walking distance of
the business section. Included in the serv-
ice will be private planes for lease, com-
mercial crop dusting, flying instruction
and chartered plane service.
US-Mexico Treaty in Effect . . .
YUMA — Treaty between United States
and Mexico which governs use of water in
three rivers running through both coun-
tries, tcok effect as of November 8. Riv-
ers affected are Colorado and Tijuana riv-
ers and the Rio Grande between Fort Quit-
man, Texas, and Gulf of Mexico.
RANCHO BORREGO
I** In the restful Borregn
Valtey at the foot ol
the San Ysidro and
Santa Rosa ranges, it
prepares to cpen De-
cember ISth for its 8th
season,
*\ J^v- An informal American
ll.V/ ' Plan gUESt ranch with
f/f the open hearted hospi-
tality of early Califor-
nia days.
Reservations are being
accepted for December
and January.
Write
NOEL and RUTH CRICKMER
Borrego — Julian P. O. — California
SCENIC GUIDES
The Key to Western Travel
FIRST EDITION
SCENIC GUIDE TO NEVADA
More than 500 places to see in Neva-
da, with complete information, photo-
graphs and detailed maps.
A Hundred Travelogues in
One Handy Book.
Guides to other Western Stales
will follow soon.
Price $1.Q0 Postpaid
ADDRESS
SCENIC GUIDES
P. O. Box 288
SUSANVTLLE. CALIFORNIA
Send for Yours Today
A triumphant new season under the
winter sun at Palm Springs! America's
pioneer desert resort welcomes a dis-
tinguished colony to its 35-acre estate . . .
secluded bungalows, all sports. Season
October to June.
37tk season under original
ownership and management
of Nellie N. Coffman,
Earl Coffman and
George Roberson
PALM SPRINGS, CALIF.
JANUARY, 1946
33
War Memorial Center Planned . . .
PHOENIX— A cultural center as a liv-
ing memorial to Arizona's war dead will
be built in Phoenix soon, according to
plans of 400 Salt River Valley civic lead-
ers. A campaign to raise $1,250,000 for
construction of a library, art building, com-
munity theater and outdoor hall to ac-
commodate 4000 persons, got underway
in December under the leadership of Bar-
ry Goldwater, Phoenix merchant and
MISCELLANEOUS
INFORMATION: What do you want to know
about the Colorado desert, SW Arizona, SE
California? Rocks, minerals, mines, travel-
ways, waterholes, flora, wildlife, etc. Also
Colorado River fishing information. An old
Desert Rat will give you reliable information.
Personal letters 32.00, Address Desert Rat,
Box 356, Winterhaven, Calif.
DESERT SUNSHTNE makes healthy poultry.
Hampshire Cross pullets ready to lay shipped
anywhere 6 for $15.00. Crating free. Grail
Fuller Ranch, Daggett, Calif.
WANTED: Used Silversmith tools. Write to
Maude F. Kibler, Mina, Nev. Box 164.
STRANGE. Rare and Unusual Books — big
illustrated catalogue and sample book both
for 10c. ■'West-Of-The Rockies," Needles 9,
California.
DESARTATIONS: Now that ;ill ratchioning
sich as gas, eats, et cetery are all over, nearly
so, we kin all go desartrekkin' with Ini Puni-
tee, onlessen he is too bizzy to go along. An'
when y'u do go, dun't fergit that THE DES-
ART SHOP at 329 College Street, in Santa
Fe, N. Mex., kin make the best enlargifica-
tions uv yer best kodak negatives in size 5x7
ar 3 fer a buck, er in size 8x10 at three fer
two bucks, slick er dull, 'n' will do 'em jist
like y'u want 'em. All kinds o' photo wurk
did at reasable prices, also, too. Special fin-
ishing services fer desart fotogs who is too
bizzy t' do the'r own, at reasable prices.
Prompt services, and hiest quality. Ryte 'em
fer yer needs and desires. Azzever yourn, Art
of the Desert.
PHOTOGRAPHS WANTED: Reasonably
priced. Must be sharp, glossy finish. Rodeo,
mining, flowers, animals, etc. Not over 5x7.
Also 35 mm. negatives in strips of 12 or more.
Rogers Studio, P. O. Box 134, San Diego 5,
California.
DIAMOND SAW SPECIAL. Brand new 7"
Copper blades, equipped with either 5/8" or
3/4" arbor holes, only $4.50 each. Do not
delay order now. Mail orders only. Gaskill,
400 North Muscatel, San Gabriel, Calif.
TEN FINE Indian arrowheads, $1.00. Catalog.
Geo. Holder, Glenwood, Ark.
LARGE NAVAJO RUGS: In hard to get sizes,
nice grey background, red white and black
designs. They are beauties. Following sizes:
13y 2 ft..xl6i/2 ft.— 10 fr. 9 in.xl5 ft. 9 in.—
7 ft.xl3 ft.— 6 ft. 6 in.xlO ft. 9 in. — 5 ft. 10
in.xl2 ft. — large variety 4x6 and 4x7 on hand.
Open SUNDAY p.m. and week days. Hub-
bell's Indian Trading Post, 2331 Pico, Santa
Monica, Calif.
World War II veteran. Featured in the
plans is a hall of heroes bearing names of
all Arizonans who served in the armed
forces.
Relic of a Desert Battle . . .
YUMA — An unexploded six-inch
shell was found on the desert northeast of
here. A. E. Shepard, the finder, reported
it to Sheriff J. A. Beard who notified mili-
tary authorities to come and get it.
WE ARE AGAIN RECEIVING real hand-ham-
mered Indian jewelry from the reservation
all made by top silversmiths. For our rock
customers we have bought another collection
of rock, making this one of the largest col-
lections of rocks and minerals in this part of
the country. Our collection of rugs, baskets
and jewelry is still large despite the shortage.
Come in and see us. Daniels Indian Trading
Post, 401 W. Foothill Blvd., Fontana, Calif.
HAND CARVED, personal Leather Wallets.
Top grade tan hide, decorative design and
three initials. $7.50 with order. Gwendolyn
Davies, Box 93, Alamo, Calif.
ARIZONA HIGHWAYS, Deserts, National
Geographies, other magazines, bought, sold,
traded. John Wesley Davis, I6IIV2 Donald-
son St., Los Angeles 26, Calif.
YOUR INNERMOST LONGINGS FUL-
FILLED! Get "Spiritual Help For Your
Everyday Problems" — 25c. Booklists includ-
ed. OUTSTANDING BOOK ASSOCIA-
TION, Box 2501, Los Angeles.
GOLD PANNING for profit, healthy, fascinat-
ing, outdoor occupation. Beginners' big in-
struction book, blueprints, photograph —
$1.00. Desert Jim, 208 Delmar, Vallejo, Calif.
GIFT BOOKS of the Southwest. For outstand-
ing titles on the desert country — Travel, His-
tory, Desert Plants and Animals, Gems and
Minerals, Indians, Juvenile — write Desert
Crafts Shop, 636 State St., El Centre, Calif.
Free catalog.
LIVESTOCK
KARAKULS. Producers of Persian Lamb fur
are easy to raise and adapted to the desert
which is their native home. For further in-
formation write Addis Kelley, 4637 E. 52
Place, Maywood, California.
We sell Nationally Recognized Fur Producing
Karakuls. Have permanent market for wool
and furs. Attractive investment for rancher
or ciry investor. James Yoakam, National
Distributor, 1128 No. Hill Ave., Pasadena,
California.
REAL ESTATE
FOR SALE OR LEASE: Gold Claims. Selman
W. Stone, Pine Valley, Calif.
For Imperial Valley Farms —
W. E. HANCOCK
-The Farm Land Man"
Since 1914
El Centrq California
"No Vacancy" Signs are out . . .
GRAND CANYON— October visitors
to Grand Canyon national park broke all
previous records with a total of 34,212
during the month. More than 33,000 of
this number arrived by private automobile.
Checking stations on Highway 66 also
report that their figures exceed any pre-
vious month in history. Holbrook, Ari-
zona, checking station clocked 30,800
westbound cars and 23,500 eastbound cars
during the month. The most common, and
unpopular signboards along the route read
"No Vacancy."
■ » ■
Construction was underway in Novem-
ber on buildings which will cover five
square blocks beginning at the western
boundary of Holbrook city limits. Cost will
total more than $250,000. All are private
enterprises.
mm*
California Electric Power company in
November was authorized to cut agricul-
tural and general wholesale electric rates
in the Yuma area by about 30 per cent
beginning January I.
• ■ »
George Babbitt, Jr., Flagstaff postmas-
ter, was elected president of Arizona chap-
ter of National Association of Postmasters
at November conference in Phoenix.
• * a
Walter D. Rouzer, manager of Fred
Harvey restaurants in Union Station at
Kansas City for the past 1 5 years, was due
in Arizona in December to assume man-
agement of Fred Harvey hotels at Grand
Canyon national park.
• » *
Isaac Barth, member of first New Mex-
ico state senate and prominent lawyer,
died suddenly November 15 at his home
in St. Johns where for the past ten years
he had published the Herald-Observer.
• • •
CALIFORNIA
Valley Grows More Sugar . . .
HOLTVILLE — About 20 Imperial
Valley growers have signed up approxi-
mately 3000 acres to be planted to sugar
beets in cooperation with Union Sugar
company of Betteravia, near Santa Maria,
California. Ralph E. Meyers company, El
Centro, is temporary headquarters for in-
terested growers. Beets, all of which will
be harvested by machine, will be shipped
in June.
Let 'Em Sleep First . . ,
JOSHUA TREE— Somebody in this
community, 40 miles from Palm Springs,
forgot about the sleeping habits of desert
tortoises. A "turtle sweepstakes," which
was to become an annual event, was sched-
uled for December, Then officials discov-
ered the desert tribe had already gone into
hibernation for winter. Now contest is set
for spring. Man o* War is the giant tortoise
who will be a leading contestant.
THE DESERT TRADING POST
Classified advertising in this section costs 7 cents a word, $1.00 minimum per issue
34
THE DESERT MAGAZINE
Keep Your
Desert Magazines
The information they contain —
the maps, the travel information,
the history, the gem fields, the lost
mines, the lore of the desert coun-
try — will help you enjoy your
motor trips now, or a year from
now. Desert never grows old.
To meet the constant demand for old
files of Desert Magazine, the following
copies are wanted. They may be sent
direct to Deaert Magazine office or de-
livered to Harrison Magazine and Book
store at 7912 S. Vermont St., Los Angeles,
and the following prices will he paid
for issues in good condition.
November '37 (first issue) $3.00
April '38 „_ 2.00
January '39 __„„ 1.00
February '39 2.00
May '39 _ 2.00
June '39 _ ... 1.00
January '40 1.00
March '40 1.00
January '45 _ _ .50
February '45 .50
May -45 50
A very limited number of complete
files of Desert are now available in per-
manent loose-leaf binders, and will be
shipped prepaid at the following rates:
Volume 1, Nov.'37 to Oct.'DS .
Volume 2
Volume 3
Volume 4
Volume 5
Volume G
Volume 7
Volume 8
Complete set 8 volumes
SHOO
. 13.00
. 10.00
8.00
6.00
4.00
4.00
5.00
80.00
The magazines in these volumes are
not all new, but they are guaranteed to
be complete copies in good condition.
LOOSE-LEAF BINDERS
— each holds 12 copies of Desert
It takes just a few seconds to insert
your magmine in those handsome gold-
embossed loose-leal binders the Desert
Magazine office sends well-packed and
postpaid.
The binder opens flat, and at the end
of each volume — the October issue — is a
complete alphabetical index for finding
any item that appeared during the year.
$1.25
includes packing, postage and tax.
DESERT MAGAZINE
El Centro, California
Spots Worry Date Growers . . .
INDIO— Dates will be completely
eliminated from the market this year if a
proposed adjustment in the agricultural
code allowing 100 per cent tolerance of
altemaria (side spot) is not effected, Wil-
liam Cook, president of Indio Date Grow-
ers' association, told members of the agri-
cultural board panel at an open hearing in
Indio November 13. Cook, ascribing pre-
valence of altemaria this year as due to an
unusually humid summer, said he sup-
ported the proposed modification of the
code which would allow packers to use
dates having spots of not more than 3/16
inch in width and length. He assured the
committee such presence of altemaria in
no way affected flavor of the date and that
only an expert could find a side spot small-
er than 3/1 6 inch. He also said such spots
were in no way harmful to the consumer.
From 50 to 60 per cent of the total output
this year is alternations, Cook estimated.
Wyn G. Jenkins, also testifying, concurred
with Cook's conclusions.
Farming Increases in Borrego . . .
BORREGO — Mechanical potato plant-
ing machines are being utilized in Borrego
Valley to sow hundreds of acres with seed
potatoes, San Diego county supervisor
James Robbins recently reported, upon
completion of an agricultural survey of the
valley. He disclosed that a number of
ranchers, taking advantage of a recent law,
have exchanged non-productive lands
within Anza state park for more suitable
agricultural areas on the floor of the val-
ley.
Land Prices Are Zooming . . .
PALM SPRINGS— While land prices
everywhere are at high levels, the realty
business in Coachella valley is zooming be-
yond even the wildest dreams of real estate
men. Despite an off year in the date har-
vest, prime date gardens continue to sell
as high as S3, 500 an acre. Vacant land
which later will come under the All-Amer-
ican canal extension have climbed from
$10 and $25 an acre to figures approaching
ten times that amount. There is also an
active demand for building sites for city
dwellers who plan to spend their post-war
weekends on the desert.
To Honor Chemehuevis Tribe . . .
NEEDLES— Chemehuevis Park— hon-
oring the Indians who once lived in the
valley now occupied by Lake Havasu — is
the name suggested by State Senator Ralph
Swing for the proposed 24,000-acre desert
park along the shores of the lake formed
by the Metropolitan dam in the Colorado
river. Senator Swing is endeavoring to
secure part of the five million dollars al-
lotted to state parks by the California legis-
lature, for the development of this pro-
posed desert park which will include bath-
ing, boating and fishing facilities along
the lake shore.
Herdin' the Skyways . . .
BRAWLEY— Menace of crop-eating
waterfowl is on its way out. At least Impe-
rial county supervisors have provided the
ways and means which should protect the
farmers' crops in the future. Supervisors
in November adopted an urgency ordi-
nance creating a duck depredation trust
fund, which would be used to pay
owners of airplanes to herd waterfowl
from farm areas and from growing crops
to feeding areas in the Salton Sea district.
29
PALMS
I N N
THE HOTEL AT THE
PALMS
* , «
FIREPLACE ADOBES
ft • ft
FOOD TO REMEMBER
SADDLE HORSES
BADMINTON
• ♦ •
AMERICAN PLAN
Single. $6.75 up
Double, $11.75 up
Gateway to Joshua Tree National Monument
ROBERT VAN LAHR, Manager
For Reservations — Write 29 Palms Inn at
TWENTYNINE PALMS, CALIFORNIA
or call any Travel Bureau or Automobile Club
Endless Fun in
Desert Sun at
LAS VEGAS
NEVADA
Here's America's newest luxury play-
land ! You'll find every comfort and
entertainment supplied by your resort
hotel. All year fishing, swimming,
boating at nearby Lake Mead and
Boulder Dam. Snow sports at nearby
Ml Charleston.
Name bands and
night spots that
| never close. Gor-
; geousdesertseen-
ery. 2000 healthy
feet of elevation.
A sunny, dry cli-
mate that makes
youfeelgrand.So
consider this an
invitation to en-
joy the fun, and
put Las Vegas on
yOUr"MUST-SEE
DESERT SAILING
Lake Mead,
Nevada
Right Away" list.
For Information and Rales
Write Chamber of Commerce,
Las Vegas, Nevada
JANUARY, 1946
35
Bid has been awarded for construction
of surfaced road between Beatty road and
east boundary of Death Valley national
monument, a part of route 127, section K.
■ • *
Holtville Tribune was sold in Novem-
ber to M. l'\ and J. R. Sherlock of Corona,
California, by W. L, and Lamont Odett.
NEVADA
Senator Moves for Boat Landing . . .
LAS VEGAS — Plans for a new boat
landing and a road leading to it in the
Overton district were revealed in Novem-
ber by Senator Pat McCarran. He reported
present facilities were not sufficient and
he hoped to have something to report in
the immediate future.
NON-RATIONED . . .
Basketball,
Bowling,
Baseball
SHOES
VAN DEGRIFT'S
717 W. 7lh Street
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA
DESERT SOUVENIR
A four-color picture suitable for framing
shows the Covered Wagon Train of '68
crossing the desert; now on display at
Knott's Berry Place, Highway 39, two
miles from Buena Park out of Los Angeles
22 miles. This remarkable oil painting 20x60
feet took over one year to complete. A copy
will be mailed you together with the special
souvenir edition of our Western Magazine
jampacked with original drawings and pic-
tures and complete description of Ghost
Town and Knott's Berry Place. Both will be
mailed with current issue of our 36-page
magazine for 25 cents postpaid in the U.S.A.
Thousands have already viewed this great
Work of art and acclaim it a wonderful con-
tribution to the history of the West. Ad-
mission is without charge whether you stay
for the chicken dinner and boysenberry pie
or not. Send 25 cents for all three: picture,
souvenir and current issue to Ghost Town
News, Buena Park, California.
Skiing in the Desert . . .
GENOA— Twin skiing events sched-
uled to be held here February 23 and 24
are expected to attract national attention.
First annual "Snowshoe" Thomson
Memorial cross country ski race and the
Nevada-California state jumping cham-
pionships. The race will start near Echo
summit and end at Genoa, the longest race
to be staged in this country and the same
distance as Norway's annual classic. Sev-
eral Norwegian skiers as well as national
ski champions, are expected to be among
the entries.
Soldiers-in-Business . . .
LAS VEGAS — Five soldiers stationed
at Las Vegas army air field put together a
lot of nerve, imagination, skill and some
borrowed equipment, and started a whole-
sale toy manufacturing industry which is
going to help out Santa Claus in this cor-
ner of the desert and incidentally be quite
a little business for Staff Sgt. Leo Peterson.
Staff Sgt. Charles Wright, Staff Sgt. War-
ren Overman, Staff Sgt. Don Glass and
Sgt. Howard Pieper. Their sturdy play-
things are known as Wright Built Tuffy
Toys, after Sgt. Wright who is a cabinet
maker by trade. The soldiers work during
evenings, free time during the day. Off
the assembly line by the first of November
were trailer trucks, bath toys, doll beds.
Let's Go Meteor Hunting . , .
RENO— A brilliant flaming object be-
lieved to be a meteor, which disappeared
after alarming northern Californians No-
vember 29 was believed to have crashed
to earth somewhere in the Nevada desert.
Prof. G. Blair of University of Nevada
said according to stories of observers, the
object apparently was slowing down and
probably shot to earth in the barren wastes
of eastern Nevada during a storm.
Shall We Say— Venus-like? . . .
RENO — -Recent poll revealed Nevada
coeds are almost two inches taller and 15
pounds heavier than the average. In con-
trast with John Robert Powers' figures,
which place average feminine height at 5
feet bVi inches and weight between 110
and 115, average University of Nevada
girls are 5 feet 5 inches tall and weigh 1 27
pounds.
ESCHATO LOGY
THE SCIENCE OF LAST THINGS
MRS. LUCILLE C. HUGHES
Metaphysician and Teacher
Healing thru Teaching
and
Teaching thru Healing
1039 Cochran Avenue
LOS ANGELES 35, CALIFORNIA
YOrk 7093
Ghost Town Jewelry . . .
VIRGINIA CITY — Establishing its
first new industry in many years in an at-
tempt to rise from the ghost town stage,
this historic city has now become the site
of a custom-made jewelry business, em-
ploying only Nevada silver and stones.
City businessmen have collaborated in
setting up the plant, which so far is filling
only local orders, although future plans
call for mail order business.
• t *
NEW MEXICO
It Really Happened, They Say . . .
ALA MOGORDO— Stories going the
rounds now, as aftermath of the atomic
bomb test near here last July 16, are des-
tined to become part of New Mexico's
legendary history. Here are a few samples:
A state livestock inspector asserted that
hair on cattle's backs had changed color
since the explosion. The Hereford cattle,
about 60 miles from site of bomb test, ap-
peared to have a heavy frost across their
backs, the hair turning a smoky grey the
length of the back in a strip about one fool
wide. Then there's Will Wrye, rancher at
Bingham, New Mexico, who said his
beard first appeared to have been seared on
the sides of his face. Now the hair is
growing back white while his chin beard
remains brown, he declared. Ranch hands
near Carrizozo declared one side of a
black cat had turned white since the blast.
It's Just a Coyote, Girls . . ,
SANTA FE— The gals in this town will
have to listen closely next time they hear
a wolf ca'l — it may be a coyote. According
to State Game Warden Elliott Barker, coy-
ote population hereabouts has grown by
leaps and bounds. Several of the animals
have been seen within city limits and a
number of them trapped a few miles away.
Indian Cooperative Mart Opens . . .
CANONCITO — Approximately 200
persons attended the recent opening of the
Navajo Cooperative store here. John G.
Evans, superintendent of United Pueblos
agency, in speaking at opening program,
declared prospects bright for the all-
Navajo store. At the open house a noon-
day meal cooked Navajo style was served
to all visitors, including some from the
Santa Fe and Albuquerque Indian schools.
An all-Navajo rodeo was held during the
afternoon. Manager of the new store will
be Richard Platero.
Early Stage Driver Dies . . .
LORDS BURG — Thomas A 1 be r 1
Woods, 86, pioneer express agent and
stage coach driver, died in Los Angeles
November 23. He was express agent and
stage coach driver, died in Los Angeles
November 23. He was express agent at
Lordsburg and at Benson and Tucson, Ari-
zona, and drove stage for Wells, Fargo &
Co. He headed one of the posses that
trailed the Indian chief, Geronimo.
36
THE DESERT MAGAZINE
This Is a Nutty Year . . ,
GALLUP — Reports indicate this year's
pinon nut crop will be a good one in this
area, the chief pinon section of New Mex-
ico. Even though pinon pine trees are
fickle producers, this tiny sweet nut has
won national markets and returns sizable
revenue to its Indian pickers. For first
time in several years excellent crop is re-
ported on Fort Defiance plateau and in
vicinity of Chee-Chil-Getctho trading post
southwest of here. Traders are paying
around 25 cents a pound. In normal times
Indians take time off from other work to
harvest the pinon crop — not because it's
easy work (it isn't) but it spells cash.
Turn Thought to Indian Vets . . .
ALBUQUERQUE— Maladjustment is
ahead to mar Indian citizenship in the
pueblos unless ways can be found to ease
adjustment strain on Indian war veterans,
warns John G. Evans, Pueblo Agency su-
perintendent. Seeking to preserve what is
best for the individual and community at
large, Evans urged all Indian Service em-
ployes to aid in re-adjusting the veteran
to civilian life, both in the pueblos and in
white communities.
• • •
UTAH
Druggists Aid Navajo . . .
SALT LAKE CITY— Shocked to learn
that 5,000 Navajo Ind'ans in the wild
San Juan country lack not only a hospital
but even a single physician, Allied Drug
Travelers November 21 voted donation of
$100 worth of medical supplies. Plight of
the Indians, who live in the bleak rugged
plateaus of Navajo Indian reservation near
Bluff, was called to attention of the Trav-
elers by Rev. H. Baxter Liebler, Indian
missionary, said R. E. Ferris. Travelers'
president. Indians in this area are nomads,
moving from desert to canyon country to
find forage for their sheep and horses,
living only briefly in mud and log huts.
STUDENTS AND HOBBYISTS
ALIKE FIND THE
Dfnio mflGflzmE
A Source of Accurate and Always
Timely and Interesting Informa-
tion on the Absorbing Sub-
jects of . . .
• GEOLOGY
• GEMOLOGY
■ MINERALOGY
Subscriptions are $2.00 Yearly
Single Copies 20c
TELEPHONE TUcker 6801
428 Metropolitan Bldg.
LOS ANGELES, CALIF.
Road to Open Mining Area . . .
VERNAL— Approval of $ 145, 000 high-
way from U.S. 40, 28 miles east of here,
22 miles south to Bonanza, after winning
approval of state road commission and
Ogden district office of U, S. public roads
administration, now awaits final approval
from Washington before contract bids ate
submitted. Road will aid Barber Asphalt
corporation in developing communities of
Little Eureka and Bonanza to extent of
about $10,000,000 and in erecting pro-
cessing plant, which will act at distributing
center for numerous products manufac-
tured by the corporation.
River Program Made Public . . .
SALT LAKE CITY— Ultimate expen-
diture of more than two billion dollars in
the development and utilization of the
waters of the Colorado river is proposed in
a comprehensive plan made public by the
U.S. Bureau of Reclamation. Of the total
amount, $930,142,000 is to be spent in
the upper basin above Boulder dam, and
$1,255,300,000 in the lower basin. The
figures are based on pre-war costs. The
complete program calls for 128 projects,
but E. A. Moritz, regional director of the
Bureau, has suggested an initial program
embodying only 30 of the projects. Thirty-
eight potential hvdro-electric power plants
with total capacity of 3,500,000 are in-
cluded in the program.
Now You Can Fly to Bryce . . ,
PANGUITCH— Bryce canyon airport,
20 miles southeast of here, has been leased
to civil aeronautics authority by Garfield
county and plans are being made to in-
crease landing space and facilities to han-
dle transcontinental traffic coming to the
national park. Main runway will be ex-
tended to 6000 feet long and 500 feet
wide and oiled to width of 300 feet. Radio
station already has been installed.
Million Dollar Store Planned . . .
SALT LAKE CITY— Plans of Sears,
Roebuck and Co.'s new store here, revealed
November 19 by district manager E. W.
Jenkins, will make it one of largest and
most complete shopping centers in inter-
mountain West, Building, which will cost
more than $1,000,000, will have floor
space of about five acres, and be located
along 8th South street between State and
Main.
Not Mark Twain's . . .
MOAB — A giant fossilized frog, two
feet in length, has been found in San Juan
county by a group of explorers led by An-
sel Hall of Colorado, it was reported in
November. Dr. Charles Camp of Univer-
sity of California was said to be removing
the ancient amphibian to the California
university museum. Frog was found in
Beef Basin, little known area, according
to Walter Herz, Reno photographer, who
spent a month with the group.
Inventory of Mother Earth . . .
SALT LAKE CITY— Under coopera-
tive agreement between University of
Utah and U. S, geological survey, long-
range project calling for systematic geo-
logical mapping of entire state of Utah
will be started in near future. Charles B.
Hunt, who will head local regional office,
declared that only about seven per cent
of U. S. is mapped geologically on a scale
as large as one inch to the mile. Purpose
of mapping is to provide inventory of land
available to government and private inter-
ests.
For Nice Things . . .
• INFANTS' and
CHILDREN'S WEAR
> LADIES' READY-TO.WEAR
• MEN'S FURNISHINGS
• FINE LINENS
CUSTER'S
208 W. Tenth Street Phone s 246
LANCASTER. CALIFORNIA
THE HEART OF ANTELOPE VALLEY
'RILL* CUSTER GALEN CUSTER
S C O T T Y ' S
DESERT RESORT
MODEBN CABINS
On Htehway 78 (San Diego county > 16
miles west of Highway 99.
35 miles east of Julian.
EATS AND CAMPING
Phone L. D. Scott, Ocotillo.
for reservations.
Designed for a Lifetime-
The tray of a thousand uses. Made of
aluminum 13-16 inches.
TRY IT tor cookies or cakes,
hotcakes or steaks.
USE IT in the oven, on the harbeoue,
over the campfire.
$3.00 each — $5.00 pa i r — Postpaid
Money refunded if not satisfied,
RAY COLE
Loma Linda Catiiornia
JANUARY, 1946
37
Phoenix, Arizona . . .
Important mineral discoveries probably
will be made in the future by radar, ac-
cording to the opinion of Charles H. Dun-
ning, director of mineral resources for
Arizona. Dunning stated that the geologi-
cal map of Arizona shows approximately
97 per cent of the surface covered by sedi-
mentary and volcanic flows that occurred
later than the mineralizing actions. There
is no reason to believe that much of this
area may not be as highly mineralized as
the three per cent of exposed surface. Not
all of it is accessible due to an overburden
that may be more than a mile thick, but
there are many places where the overlay is
thin, and the underlying formation is
known to be favorable to mineral deposi-
tion.
■ • •
Trona, California . . ■
Exploration and research work involv-
ing the increasing of recovery from the
Searles Lake mineral deposits and the de-
velopment of new products are to be un-
dertaken by the American Potash and
Chemical company which has announced
that $1,000,000 will be spent for research
alone in the next 10 years.
Winneraucca, Nevada . . .
Operations are to be resumed at the
Goldpoint gold and silver property in the
Hornsilver district, according to F. W.
Immasche, vice president of the company.
Capitalization of the company is being
increased to provide additional capital,
• ■ *
Randsburg, California , . .
Formerly a good producer, the Culbcrt
group of 16 quartz claims has been re-
ported sold to Edward Herkelrath and a
group of Long Beach associates. The new
owners plan to start development work as
soon as preliminary surveys have been
completed.
» ■ •
Winnemucca, Nevada . . .
Turquoise that formerly sold from
$22.50 to $45.00 a pound is more likely
to be offered by the carat in the future, ac-
cording to federal report. A pound con-
tains 2,260 carats, but turquoise never
comes from the ground in large chunks of
pure gemstone. By the time matrix mater-
ial is cut away the miner may not have as
much as 500 carats of marketable stone.
Extra highgrade turquoise is quoted at
SI. 00 a carat.
Lone Pine, California . . ■
A bill that would give mine operators a
right to file claims against the federal
government for damages resulting from
the WPB's order closing gold mines for
the duration, has been introduced by Con-
gressman Clair Engle of California. The
operators would be entitled to all damages
.ind costs attributable to the gold closing
order, but not for loss of production.
Claims would be filed with the Secretary
of Treasury, and the decision, if adverse,
may be appealed.
* ■ *
Washington, D. C. . . .
Free circulation of gold will be restored
if a bill introduced by Senator Taylor of
Idaho and Senator Murray of Montana is
passed. The bill would permit the coinage
of a $50 gold piece and would authorize
the mints to pay for gold bullion in either
gold coins or currency.
• • •
Tonopah, Nevada . . .
A tiny piece of blue float about the size
of a pea led to the discovery of a new
turquoise deposit in the hills near Warm
Springs, 50 miles east of Tonopah. The
locators are Charles Joseph and E. M.
Booth. Small quantities of turquoise have
been taken from this district in years past.
Development work on the property has
disclosed gem stone of extra good coloring.
^JkouAandl MileA- ftoiu&t Joined, . . .
KEEP THE LIGHT BULBS BURNING IN THE IMPERIAL AND COACHELLA VALLEYS . . .
17,618 Consumers Depend on the District Power System to
Keep Lights, Machines, Farms and Industrial Plants Going.
Where does this electrical energy come from?
From two hydro-electric plants on the All- American canal.
From an eight-unit Diesel plant at Brawley.
From a contract with the U. S. Bureau of Reclamation for
use oi its transmission line from Parker Dam.
From an exchange agreement with the California Electric
Power Company, made at the time the Imperial and Coa-
chella Valley properties ol that company were purchased
by the District.
• • a
From these sources power flows into miles of lines,
through scores of substations and transformers, into homes
and offices and factories.
Since 1936, the people ol these valleys have built the
basic pattern for a power system as efficient, as modem,
as profitable, as any in the country. They have a right to be
proud of it.
All This Has Been Acquired in Nine Years, and If Is Paying tor Itself Out of the Revenue It Brings In!
DISTRICT POWER IS GOOD BUSINESS
Imperial Irrigation District
Use Your Own Power-Hake it Pay for tKp All American Canal
3B
THE DESERT MAGAZINE
SAN JOSE CLUB SETS FIRST
OEM SHOW FOR JANUARY
San Jose Lapidary society in November an-
nounced plans for their first gem show, to be
held January 19-20. In summarizing progress
of the committee members, President Russell
Grube stated, "It will be up to us to have the
best show in the State of California."
Specimens in the following classes will be
shown: Cabochons, Facets, Cameos, Novelties,
Jewelry, Santa Clara county material, Fluores-
cent material, Mineral display, Equipment dis-
play, Flats. Entry fee is $1.00. In charge of floor
arrangements are Charles Murphy, Santa Cruz,
and Arthur Maudens, San Mateo.
MIDWEST FEDERATION HOLDS
CONVENTION AT JOLIET
Midwest Federation held a successful con-
vention October 13-14 at Joliet, 111. Officers
elected for ensuing year are: Algar Synie, presi-
dent; Maynard Leesler, vice president; Frank
Nelson, secretary; Wm. Menzel, treasurer.
Delegates enjoyed a trip to a factory at Sand-
wich where quartz crystals are cut into radio
wafers. At the evening session president Syme
talked on land-sea relationships of North Amer-
ica from Cambrian times to the present. He illus-
trated his talk with excellent geological maps
made by himself. Other speakers included Drs.
Ball and Fleener.
Sunday the group visited a silica-sand pit at
Wedron, Deer Park and the lower canyon. Dr.
Fleener described nature and extent of La Salle
anticline on which Deer Park is situated, and
outlined Indian history of the area.
URANIUM ELEMENTS
Atomic bombs and atomic research have
increased interest among mineralogists and
collectors in specimens of uranium ore.
Most of the world's supply of uranium
(element 92), also known as uranium 238,
as well as radium, platinum and many other
rare elements, comes from pitchblende or
uraninite, a heavy, blackish, metallic ore
from northern Canada, or from carnotite, a
mustard yellow substance found in the
United States. Carnotite can easily be dis-
tinguished from sulphur by use of fire.
Sulphur burns readily; carnotite does not.
Until recently, all scientists believed that
there were 92 elements and no more. Ele-
ments 91 and 92 often were called uranium
one and uranium two. Elements 93 and 94,
neptunium and plutonium, were first made
artificially in the laboratory, but later found
native in uraninite as natural elements.
Now numbers 95 and 96 have appeared,
still unnamed, in the chemistry laboratory.
All of these seem to be variations of uran-
ium, formed by bombarding element 92
with extra electrons from high powered
machines.
TENTH ANNUAL CONVENTION
OF FEDERATION ANNOUNCED
California Federation of minetalogical so-
cieties will hold its tenth annual convention
June 15-16 in Pasadena, California. This will be
an important event for all western rockhounds.
Committee chairmen are as follows: Com-
petitive displays and judging — Chapman: Com-
mercial displays — Rodekohr; Program — Hill;
Lapidary demonstrations — Kirkpatrick; Pub-
licity — Van Amringe; Finance — Vance; Recep-
tion — Mrs. Wheeler; Auction — Dietz; Invita-
tions — Linvillc. Address all correspondence to
Mrs. Lillie Rhorer, 5K1 Summit, Pasadena 1,
California.
AMONG THE
ROCK HOnTERS
At November 20 dinner meeting of Seattle
Gem Collectors club in chamber of commerce
building, Mrs. Lucile Saunders McDonald, fea-
ture writer for Seattle Times, spoke on the
romance of gems, telling the story of her book
Jewels and Gems. The talk was of keen interest
to the 79 persons in attendance. Mrs. J. Frank
Murbach, secretary, reports plans for a Christ-
mas party at their December meeting.
• * •
Desert Gem and Mineral society, Blythc,
California, nominated officers for 1946 at No-
vember 12 meeting held at home of Norman
Brooks. Named without opposition were: Nor-
man Brooks, president; Dale Braman, vice-
president; Glenn Vargas, secretary-treasurer.
Election was to be held at December 10 meeting.
NAVAJO INDIAN RUGS & JEWELRY
Tom 5. Hubbell, 2331 Pico Blvd.
Santa Monica, California
Cvl«0^ LAPIDARY EQUIPMENT
Send (or
Literature to
Covington Lapidary
Engineering Co.
Redlaudl, Cnl.
NEW 100 WATT
BLACK FLUORESCENT
POWERFUL FLOODLIGHT
For Christmas Decorations
Make your own with fluorescent paper,
crayon, ink, paint, cloth, etc.
Make a fluorescent pool and rock gar-
den activated by the
SHANNON LIGHT, $31.50
BUY THE BEST FIRST
For short wave fluorescence we use,
recommend and sell Mineralite.
$25-00 up.
W. N. WHITTEMORE
209 E. Islay Santa Barbara, Calif.
HERE ARE THE GIFTS
YOU'VE BEEN LOOKING FORI
Rings $7.00 and Up Necklaces $7.00 and Up
Ear Bobs, Brooches, $8.00 and Up
Bracelet and Ring Sets. $16 and Up
Plus 20% Excise Tax and 21/2% Sales Tax
Petrified Picture Wood and Moss Agate — Jewelry
Hand Made in Sterling Silver Mountings
SPECIALLY SELECTED STONES WITH
CHOICE COLORS AND PICTURES
Mail Orders Filled Anywhere in U. S. A.
ELLIOTT'S GEM SHOP
26 Jergins Arcade Village Long Beach 2, Calif.
Entrance Subway at Ocean and Pine
Open 10 A. M. to 10 P. M. Daily
JANUARY, 1946
39
GEM MART
7c a Word — Minimum $1.00
LARGE COLLECTION of quartz crystals, sin-
gle points and groups, all sizes. Montana
Moss Agate, Chrysocolla, Malachite, Azurite,
beautiful crystallized Illinois geodes, all
sizes. Artcraft Stone Co., 2866 Colorado
Blvd. Eagle Rock, Calif.
LARGEST MOST BEAUTIFUL SPECIMENS
of Petrified Wood known. One 2 feet in
diameter, 2y 2 ft. long is entirely of beautifully
colored gem cutting material. Others still
larger show ring, root, limb and bark forma-
tion. Will sell for attractive offer. Harvey
Jackson, Fremont, Utah.
FOR SALE: My private collection of mineral
specimens of four hundred pieces, numbered
and cataloged. For particulars write R. E.
Goodell, 291 Canyon Road, Salt Lake City 3,
Utah.
NEW, DIFFERENT, from Utah's Henry Mis.
Bone, Jasper and Petrified Wood. Slabs from
above $1.00 to $20.00 according to size and
color. Also slabs cut from Birdseye or Flower-
ing Obsidian nr Agate Geodes. SI. 00 to $8.00
each. Worthen's, Fremont, Utah.
BEAUTIFUL MINERAL Specimens, Crystals,
Peacock Copper, Silver and many more. Write
for list and prices. Jack the Rockhound. P.O.
Box 86, Carbondale, Colorado.
FOR SALE: High grade Agatized Chalcedony,
good grade Turquoise, Opalized Wood, etc.
Let us know your wants — prompt delivery.
Booth and Joseph, Box 826, Tonopah, Nev.
ARIZONA AGATES, JASPERS. PETRIFIED
WOOD— We are now mining beautiful
Arizona agates, jaspers and petrified wood.
These have moss, ferns, trees, flowers, pic-
tures and scenic views. This is new gem
material coming from desert deposits and is
very hard, taking a good polish that will
last without scratching. Almost every color
can be found: some bright, some of many-
shades of purples, reds, greens, yellows, or-
ange, white and clear with and without bands.
Large stones cut and polished from this gem
material bring from $5.00 to $50,00 each
unmounted and are very beautiful. Prices of
number one gem arc- as follows — AGATES
and JASPERS mixed 2 pounds $6 50; 5
pounds $12.50; 10 pounds $22.00. Number
one picture gem wood can be bought at the
same price. Ancient Pueblo Indian chips,
Gem quality 50 for $8.50. Satisfaction guar-
anteed, postage extra. Charles E. Hill, 2205
N. 8th St., Phoenix, Arizona.
GOING OUT of business— Bargain, 1 slab
South African tiger eye, 1 pound Texas agate.
Two Lake Superior agates, 3 Oregon agate
nodules, 2 pounds fine jasper, 1 chunk gem
lazulite for lovely cabochon, enough gem
turquoise to make 8 large cabochons, 1 pound
gem rhodonite, 3 Brazilian quartz candles
(cutting), 3 apatite Xl's, Mexico. All for
$3.00 plus postage on 8 pounds. West Coast
Mineral Co.. 1400 Hacienda Blvd., La Habra.
California. P.O. Box 331.
SEND ME your favorite cabochon mounted
in either sterling or 10 K gold. Each piece
designed to bring out the beauty of your stone.
Ladies Sterling rings from $3.00, 10K gold
from $7.50. Pins, Brooches, Bracelets, etc.,
reasonable. Satisfaction guaranteed. Send for
descriptive list of fine ladies and mens rings
now in stock. Your correspondence invited.
K. K. Brown. Star Route, Castle Rock, Wash
PREFORM CABOCHONS 50c to $2.00. Pre-
form Hearts and Pendants $1.75 to $3.50,
Brazilian Agate. Carneol with white bands
CO dark brown Sard colors, Snowflake Ob-
sidian, Utah Variscite, Montana Agate, etc.
Polish with our Cerium Oxide $2.50 per lb.
A. L. Jam's, Route 2, Box 350, Watsonville,
California. Open every day except Wednes-
day,
FOR SALE: Eden Valley Petrified Limbs. 1 5c
and 25c each. $1.00 orders only. Mrs. E. Cail-
land, 3642 Gardenia Ave., Long Beach 7.
California.
SHELL JEWELRY. Learn how to make at home.
Special Beginners Outfit, plenty for 25 pieces,
includes equipment, shell and instructions, for
$5.00 postpaid. Write for our new price list
of American Gem Cutting Material. The Gem
Exchange, Lake Bluff, Ills.
WHOLESALE ONLY: Lazulite. Agate Wood,
Nevada Agate, Nevada Variscite, Obsidian,
black. Obsidian, black and red. Amygdeloids,
Carnelian, Travertine, Death Valley Onyx,
Lone Mt. Onyx, Paymaster Onyx, Death Val-
ley Curly. Box 495, Goldfield, Nev.
10 LBS. ASSORTED MATERIAL for ,$6.00,
Agates, Jasper, Geodes. Amygdaloids, Chal-
cedonies, Algae, etc. Write for price list of
cutting materials, specimens, fossils, jewelry,
etc. John L. James, Tonopah, Nev.
SPECIAL: My surprise assortment of Arizona
minerals $1.00 FOB. Cash with order. A bar-
gain, L. E. Bagg, Box 782, Peoria, Ariz.
SPECIAL FOR THE MONTH: Fifteen beauti-
ful mineral specimens for only $1.20. include
saJes tax if from California. Send money
with order. M. "Speeder" Duino, 998 The
Alameda. San Jose, Calif.
CHOICE BRAZILIAN AGATE, beautifully
banded — sliced for cabochons, 30c per sq. in.
Money refunded if not satisfied when material
is returned. Mail orders only. Gaskill, 400
No. Muscatel, San Gabriel, Calif.
EXPERIENCED TURQUOISE cutters wanted.
Rate 2 cents per carat for 40 hours work, 3
cents per carat for cutting after 40 hsurs in
one week. Can cut up to 53 hours per week
List references and experience in first reply.
Maisel's Indian Trading Post, P. O. Box 1333,
Albuquerque, N. M.
ROCKS AND MINERALS which reflect the
color and atmosphere of the Colorado Desert.
Assortment of 10 colorful specimens, cabinet
size, $10.00 plus postage. Desert Blossom
Rocks, Box 356, Winterhaven, Calif.
SLABS ON APPROVAL, against deposit or
satisfactory reference, will submit large selec-
tion. Cabochon slabs or large sections for
cabinet display. Rough or polished. Large
variety of fine material. See our display when
you pass this way. A. E. Davies, Stone Valley
Road, Alamo, Calif.
WANTED: TO BUY, sell and exchange speci-
mens outstandingly rare and beautiful. Sim
Parker, 2160 East Van Buren, Phoenix, Ariz.
MINERAL SETS — 24 Colorful Minerals (iden-
tified) -in 1x1 compartments — Postage paid,
$3.50. Prospector's Set of 50 Minerals (iden-
tified) in 1x1 compartments in cloth rein-
forced sturdy cartons, Postage paid $5.75.
Elliott's Gem Shop. 26 fergins Arcade. Long
Beach 2. Calif..
FIRST TIME ever offered for sale by me. Lucky
Magnetic Mother Lodestones. There is a leg
end that these stones bring luck and health
to the possessor. Send for a pair today. Pocker
size only. $1.50. M. Duino, 998 The Ala
meda, San Jose, Calif.
AMAZING BARGAINS! . . . High Qualm
Stones: Almandine Garnets (Madagascar) ea
$1.20; Green Garnets (Australia) ea. $1.80.
Opals (Australia) ea. 90c; Moonstones
(Ceylon) ea. $1.20; Sapphires (Blue &
Golden, India) ea. $2.40; Aquamar^
(Brazil) ea. $1.80; Sardonyx (South Amer
ica) ea. 90c; Quartz Topaz (Brazil) ca
$1.80; Amethysts (Brazil) ea. $1.20; Tur-
quoises (Persia) ea. 90c; Rough Quaru
Topaz (Brazil) ea. $1.80. AH stones cui
and polished. We guarantee complete satis
faction. See that remittance accompanies youi
order. L. de Crissey, P.O. Box 9?»— Times
Square Station— New York 18, N. Y.
ROCK COLLECTORS ATTENTION: When
you visit the Desert this winter look for tht
ROCKOLOGIST, one mile east of Cathedral
City, California.
BEACH MOONSTONES, Agates & Jasper. 35
for $1.00, minimum order one dollar. W. T
White, 410 No. Broadway. Redondo Beach,
California.
ARIZONA MINERALS. Unique natural white
Cameos (silicified dolomite on tan chalce
dony) ; Botryoidal Fiorites (Pearl Sinters).
Rare Calcite brown banded parallel to faces.
25c to $1.00. Geodes UNCUT 3 for $1.00
Fluorescent Scheelite in quartz 2"x3" $1.00
Opaque to translucent Quartz Crystal Clus-
ters; doubly-terminated single crystals 50c to
$4.00. Postage extra. Mrs. MaryAnn Kasey.
Box 230, Prescott, Arizona.
AGATES: very high grade, bright colored
plume, flower and moss in shades of red, yel-
low, green, black, etc., with backgrounds,
blue, rose, yellow, clear and white. Slabs will
make beautiful jewelry. Plume slabs, suitable
for one brooch or brooch and ting, $1.50 to
$5.00, larger $5.00 to $25.00. Flower and
moss, $1.00 to $10.00. Polished slabs slightly
higher. Please send deposit for slabs wanted
on approval. Money back if not entirely satis
fied. Mae Duquette, 407 No. Muscatel, San
Gabriel, Calif.
$2.50 brings you prepaid six rare and beautiful
crystallized Arizona minerals. Vanadinite.
Dioptase. Wulfenite, Willemite, Chrysocol
la, Azurite. Specimens lV^x2 or larger
Wiener Mineral Co.. Box 509, Tucson, Ari
zona.
MONTANA MOSS AGATES in the rough fo:
gem cutting, $1.00 per lb. plus postage. El-
liott's Gem Shop, 26 Jergins Arcade, Long
Beach 2, California.
MINERALS. GEMS, COINS, Bills, Old Glass.
Books, Stamps, Fossils, Buttons, Dolls.
Weapons, Miniatures. Indian Silver Rings
and Bracelets. Also Mexican, dialogue 5c
Cowboy Lemley, Las Cruces, New Mexico.
ROCK COLLECTORS ATTENTION: Special
Christmas Offer. 1 Choice Fluorescent rock
$1.00, 1 Garnet in Rhvolite, $1.00. 1 spark-
ling Quartz & pyrite XL group $2.00, 1 slice
Rhodonite $1.00, 1 Agatized clam $1.00, 1
white Atagonite stalactite $1.00, 1 double rc
fractorv Iceland Spar $1.00, 1 cuttable Mala
chite $1.00, 1 Tourmaline in matrix $1.00, I
blue Calcanthite specimen $1.00, 1 Vanadinitt-
crystal group $1.00. Free cabochon or polished
specimen. All postpaid for only $8.00 (noth-
ing sold separate). The Rockologist (Chucka
walla Slim) Cathedral City, Calif.
40
THE DESERT MAGAZINE
INDIAN RELICS, Curios, Coins, Minerals,
Books, Old Buttons, Old Glass, Old West
Photos, Weapons, Catalogue 5c. Lemley An-
tique Store, Osborne, Kansas.
GOSSEN FOR SALE: Lovely Peacock colors.
Prices $1,00 ro $5. 00. nccurdini? to size and
color. Also Gilifurnia Barite Crystals, Ken
Dor Rock Roost, 419 S. Franklin St., Mo-
desto, California.
THE DESERT RAT has lost his nest and must
say goodby for awhile. Look for the old red
trailer to pass your town. Thanks to all my
customers. Geo. W. Chambers, 2667 E. Col-
orado. E. Pasadena, California.
FLUORSPAR SPECIMENS of exceptional
beauty and crystallization can be bought by
addressing La Purisima Fluorspar Company,
Deming, New Mexico.
COPALITE IN COAL: Selected sepcimens
J"x3" at SI. 50 each, post paid. Copalite
fluoresces yellow to green. Huntington Min-
eral Supply, Huntington, Utah.
FLUORITE CLEAVAGE OCTAHEDRONS.
Most of these fluoresce under Wonderlite
and odier ultraviolet bulbs. 6 selected Vz-in.
to 1-in, tip to tip in various shades of yellow,
green, purple, blue, colorless and mixed
shades, $1.60 postpaid. 12 selected extra
quality and sizes 1/2-in. to H/^-in. tip to tip,
S4.25 postpaid in United States. A few
larger specimens up to 2W-in. at special
prices. H. STILLWFXL Sc SON, Rockville
Centre, N.Y.
CHRISTMAS GIFTS: Excellent small size l"x
iVi" mineral specimens from middle west
and eastern states. Just the thing for begin-
ners, schools, and collectors with limited
space. One dozen $2.00; two dozen $3.75;
three dozen $5.25 postpaid in United States.
H. STILL WELL & SON, Rockville Centre,
New York.
CHRISTMAS GIFT: Wonderlire U. V. Bulb.
Fits any standard electrical socket, 50 hour,
300 watt, 105-120 volts, A.C. or D.C. Can
be used continuously if desired, gives beauti-
ful results. Price $2.60 postpaid in United
States, H. STILI.WELL & SON. Rockville
Centre, N.Y.
CHRISTMAS GIFT: Franklin, N. J. collection
10 excellent specimens about 2"x2" — $4.00
postpaid in United States. H. ST1LLWELL
& SON, Rockville Centre, N. Y.
CHRISTMAS GIFT: Paterson, NJ. Minerals,
10 excellent specimens about 2"x2" — $4.00
postpaid Wnited States. H. ST1LLWELL &
SON, Rockville Centre, N.Y.
CHRISTMAS GIFT: Herkimer County, N.Y.
"DIAMONDS" Natural brilliant gem-like
quartz crystals. Attractive collections $1.50-
$2.50-$5. 00-$ 10.00 postpaid United States.
H. ST1LLWELL & SON, Rockville Centre,
New York.
MY SON has been released from the army and
has joined me in the Quartz and Mineral
business and we are better prepared to serve
you than ever, bodi wholesale and retail. For
Christmas, we are featuring some fine cabinet
specimens of clear Quartz Crystals from $5.00
to $25.00 each. Or probably you would like
to add some rare and beautiful mineral from
the famous Magnet Cove district. Special,
one 2"x2" or larger specimen of the follow-
ing six for $5.00: Brookite on Quartz, Pyrite
on Molybdenite, Titanium in Calcite, Aegi-
rite, Pyciie in Feldspar and Taeniolite. De-
livery charges extra. Satisfaction guaranteed.
Our new descriptive price list is ready, ask
for yours. J. L. Davis & Son, Box 1001, Hot
Springs, Ark.
MONTANA MOSS AGATE in rough for gem
cutting and specimen. 50c to $1 per pound,
phis shipping cost. Also can supply Jade, Jas-
per and Petrified wood. E. A. Wight, P. O.
Box 13 18, Billings, Montana.
Marquette geologists association held annual
auction November 3 in Chicago academy of
science building. Dr. John Ball gave another in
his series of lectures on short lessons in geo-
logy. The Marquette club has an inquiring re-
porter, Hulda Ruthowski, whose duty it is to
contact all visitors so that they may be intro-
duced at the meeting, their names entered m
the minutes and monthly bulletins mailed to
them.
• * *
George D. Hough was scheduled to talk on a
trip to Alaska at November 1 meeting of Min-
eralogical Society of Arizona. A motion picture
—sand and flame — was to be shown at Novem-
ber 15 gathering.
• * *
All members of New Jersey mineralogical
society who took summer trips were requested
to bring examples of specimens collected and
make reports at November meeting. Session
opened with reports by P. Robinson, E. Conrad
and J. DAgostino on a trip through Vermont.
New Hampshire, Maine, Massachusetts and
Connecticut. Membership booklet is about ready
to go to press. November bulletin discusses
topaz.
■ ■ ■
Marquette bulletin extends to other rock
minded publications the privilege of reprinting
any article appearing in the bulletin requesting
only that names of author and bulletin be in-
cluded in juxtaposition.
• * »
Captain Robert A. Moses discussed quartz
crystals at November 15 dinner meeting of Los
Angeles mitiL-ralogical society. He described Cut-
ting and polishing of quartz crystals for use in
radio and radar. Dr. Gordon B. Oakeshott went
as instructor on the society's November 18 field
trip to the vicinity of Iron mountain and Mill
creek. Geology of this area was covered by Dr.
Oakeshott (Compton college) in conjunction
with state division of mines.
• * ■
Be sure, advises Marquette geologists bulle-
tin, that the head of your rock hammer or pick
is securely attached to the handle.
. . .
An hour of motion pictures of volcanic action
brought volcanoes of the world to November 19
meeting of Mineralogical Society' of Southern
California, Pasadena. Ernest Chapman led field
trip discussion on Palo Verde hills area. Mem-
bers displayed specimens resulting, from volcanic
action as well as material from Palo Verde hills.
• » •
Long Beach mineralogical society heard a
talk by Mrs. Mayhew on topaz at November 14
meeting held in Belmont recreation center, 4104
Allin street. A grab bag was one feature of the
evening's entertainment. Fritz W. Schmidt was
appointed field trip chairman at the board
meeting. Five new members were admitted.
9 • V
Dr. Groesbeck of Porterville explained the art
of cameo cutting at October meeting of Kern
county mineral society, illustrating her talk with
examples of her handiwork. At each meeting of
this group a few members give five miuutc-
talk on "My most interesting specimen," F. W,
Willis talked on n bauxite specimen and John
Kennedy on petrified wood. Hugh Stephens.
Jacob Oster and Gil la Kennedy were scheduled
to speak at November meeting.
• • •
George Hudson, president Kern county min-
eral society, opened October meeting with a
period of silence in observance of the passing
of past president King.
Elmer Eldridge talked on rare minerals at
October meeting of Sequoia mineral society.
Mr. Buel, cartoonist with Fresno Bee, enter-
tained with tales about Death Valley Scotty,
Nevada gold mines and Klondike gold fields.
The Eisenbises were m charge of November
program. First postwar field trip for Sequoians
was later than those of other groups because
many members had to tend their drying raisins
and the weather man was inconsiderate enough
10 send unseasonable moisture.
LAPIDARY SUPPLIES
VRECO Lapidary Equipment will again
be available just as soon as our lacilities
can be converted and our NEW line of
equipment put into production. Watch for
announcements. In the meantime, let us
serve you with these highest quality
VRECO supplies:
VRECO DIAMOND SAWS . . . give you better
performance . . . longer life . . . foster cutting.
6-Inch $4.50 12-inch $ 8.75
8-inch 5.50 1 4- inch „„. 11.00
10-inch 6.80 16-inch 13.75
Be sure to specify arbor hole size required. Postpaid.
VRECO GRINDING WHEELS are made ex-
pressly for gem stone grinding.
6 x % -inch
6 x 1 -inch
8 x 1 -inch
10 x 1 -inch
10 x 11/2-inch _
12 x 1 -inch
100 Grain
6" 100 & ISO
...„.$ 2.10
2.40
3.60
S.00
7.00
. 6.80
9.60
. 12.30
220 Grit
$ 2.25
2.60
3.90
5.30
7.50
7.50
10.40
13.30
12 x lVa-inch
12 x 2 -inch
Be sure to specify arbor hole siie. Postage extra.
VRECO DRESSING BRICKS are an indispenslble
aid to keeping wheals trued.
8"x2"x I" Dressing Brick $ .85
ABRASIVE GRAIN . . . Silicon-carbide grains in
grit sizes 60, 00, 100, 120, 150, 180. 220, also F
(240], FF (300). and FFF ( 400 ) .
50c por lb. In single lb. lots
35e per lb. In 2 to 5 lb. lots
30c per lb. in 6 to 99 lb. lots
23c per lb. in 100 lb. lots or more
(Postage extra)
POLISH POWDER . , . Tripoli Polishing Powder,
2 lbs .._ $ .85
FELT POLISH WHEELS — Spanish White Felt...
made expressly for us by Byfield Felting Co.
These wheels are the proper hardness for polish-
ing gem stones and flat specimens.
6 x I -in $4.25 10 x I -In $11.00
8x I -In. _ — 7.25 10 x iy 2 -in 14.90
10 x 2-in $19.00
Arbor hole sizes: l/j", 5/ 8 ", K* 7/ 8 », ,«.
Felt prices are postpaid.
SANDING CLOTH . . . CARBORUNDUM
BRAND Silicon-carbide cloth tor disc or drum
type Sanders. Grit sires. 120, 220. 320.
Width
Price per
Ft,
No. Ft.
porS
Price per
150ft. Roll
Ronship.
Weight
2"
5c
24 ft.
$ 4,70
3 lbs.
3"
7c
15 ft.
6.90
5 lbs.
8"
17c
7 ft.
18.00
12 lbs.
10"
22c
6 ft.
22.00
15 lbs.
12"
25c
5 ft.
26.50
20 lbs.
VREELAND MFG. CO.
2026 S. W. Jefferson St. Portland 1, Orsgon
JANUARY, 1946
41
MINERAL
IDENTIFICATION
SIMPLIFIED
ByO. C. Smith, A.B., A.M.
2nd Revised Edition
Price $3.50
Plus Tax in California
Order from - O. C. SMITH - Dept. D
5 157 Santa Ana St. — Bell. Californis
1
MINIATURE SETS, Aasfd per dm $6.00
50 RING STONES, including genuine and
synthetic „ _ $7.50
SYNTHETIC RUBIES or GENUINE GAR-
NETS, per carat $1-25
CAMEOS or OPALS — Genuine — 12 for $3.75
100 JEWELRY STONES removed from rings,
etc., $2.40; 50 large one» $Z.40
12 ARTICLES ANTIQUE JEWELRY, rings,
pini, etc „...$3.00
500 COSTUME JEWELRY STONES $2,00
B. LOWE, Holland Bldg., St. Louis 1, Mo.
NEW 7" COPPER
DIAMOND SAW DLADES
Each blade has over 2 carats of
diamond. While they last, only
$3.79 Each, Postpaid
5/8 Arbor Only.
RECLAIMED SILICON CARBIDE GRITS,
80-100 mesh. 500 lbs. Any Quantity.
12c per lb.
CALCITE . . .
Calif. Good PINK Fluorescence under
Mineralite. 1"— 10c, $1.00 lb.
ARAGONITE . . .
Calif. Pale Green Fluorescence. Good
Phosphorescence.
1"— 10c 2"— 35c 3" — SI. 25
CLINOZOSITE. CHESTMORITE, RIVER-
StDEITE, California.
1"— 10c 2"— 2Sc 3"— $1.00
BORNITE & CHALCOPYRITE, Arizona
1"— 5c 2"— 15c 3"— 45c
HOWLITE, 3Sc lb.
NEVADA GEM WOOD, 75c lb„ 15c sq. in.
Good Limb and Root Sections $1.50 lb.
FELKER DIAMOND BLADES . . .
6" — $ 4.60 8"— 5 6.65 10"—$ 8.70
12" ^$10.75 14"— $14.80 16"— $16.65
For LONG LIFE and CUTTING EASE try
G. & W. Soluble CUTTING OIL, Scien-
tifically Compounded for Diamond
Saws.
50c Qt. 51.50 Gal.
We are agents for Carborundum
Products.
B. & t Gem Maker on display.
Include postage on all orders unless
otherwise noted.
LONG BEACH
MINERAL tS LAPIDARY
SUPPLY CO.
1614 East Anaheim St, Phone 73-856
LONG BEACH 4, CALIF.
Recently organized Chicago Lapidary Crafts-
men, whose purpose is to further the study of
gems and to foster gem cutting and jewelry
crafts for the amateur, announces the following
officers: William E. Menzel, chairman; Mrs.
C. Zobel, recording secretary; lva Robertson,
corresponding secretary; Arch. Nisbel, treasurer,
i • •
Los Angeles Lapidary society held its Christ-
mas party and dinner meeting December i at
Royal Palms hotel, Los Angeles. Gift packages
of gemstones were exchanged. Other features
were a gem quiz (Lelande Quick, quizmaster),
spelling bee, door prizes.
* * »
Story of quartz was subject uf J. Bryant
Kasey's talk at November meeting of Yavapai
Gem and Mineral society, Prescott, Arizona.
Alvin A. Hanson described agate formations of
Michigan, Montana, Wyoming, South Dakota.
Oregon and Washington, and told of their dis-
tribution by Ice Age glaciers.
• • •
Pacific mineral society did not schedule a
regular November field trip because of the
Thanksgiving holiday, but a group under lea-
dership of Mr. Hoghinian planned a four day
jaunt to Goodsprings, Nevada,
* # *
William W. Fox and Vladimir S. Aronovici,
soil service men, were guest speakers at Novem-
ber 17 meeting of Imperial Valley gem and
mineral society, the below sea level club. Fox
talked on the geologic history of the valley, its
present soil composition and the importance of
soil analysis. Aronovici described the petro-
g rapine microscope, demonstrating how rocks
are identified by their crystal composition.
Aronovici showed miciophotographs of Imper-
ial Valley sands.
* • *
j. H. Moon reports that October meeting ot
Sacramento mineral society opened with two
motion pictures, one on Mexican basket weav-
ing, the other showing a trip through Death
Valley. J, B. Nichols, speaker of the evening,
talked on structure of the atom. A fluorescence
exhibit and demonstration concluded the pro-
gram.
* • •
Barsiow mineral society invites any rock-
hound interested in the district to communicate
with Cecil E. Goar, secretary. Box 133, Barstow.
California, for information about liarstow and
the surrounding areas and for guidance to visit
the area. The society draws its membership
from Daggett. Vermo and Barstow districts.
• • *
President and Mrs. Hoi lis Page were hosrs to
Pomona Valley mineral club in November. Fea-
ture of the evening was a motion picture tri'i
through L'tah. Mr. Pearson, local gem authority,
gave pointers about gem quality minerals. Mr.
Page recounted his recent trip to Coyote and
Fish Creek mountains where he obtained fossils
and fluorescent material.
• • •
Imperial Valley gem and mineral societv ttave
a specimen shower for Mr. and Mrs, Harrv
Seaman who lost all their rock ennipment and
cutting material in an unexplained fire.
• • *
T. Sgt. Basil Andrews of U. S, weather bur-
eau, talked on Greenland at November 20 meet-
ing of Pacific mineral society, Los Angeles.
Sergeant Andrews spent two years at an isolated
weather station in Greenland, cut off from the
world by ice floes. Supplies were parachuted to
him. He brought home colored slides of the
region and an exhibit of Greenland rocks and
minerals.
■ • •
Monterey Bay mineral society has adopted
a neat letterhead — an etching of the bay topping
a group of quartz crystals.
Word has been received that Chuckawalla
Slim's trailer was damaged by fire.
E. E. Teagle was scheduled to tell some of
his experiences in Searles Lake vicinity at No-
vember 21 meeting of Searles Lake gem and
mineral society. Teagle, owner of the Stockwell
mine northeast of Valley Wells, is an old timer
in the district. In 1900 he and his brother owned
and operated a store at Garden City. Field trip
committee plans a December trip to the moun-
tains south of Inyokern. Recent hobby show was
an outstanding success and netted the society
S178.51.
DIAMOND DRILL
YOUR GEMS
With a Professional Diamond Point
Drui
Made especially lor Agate, Ruby and
Sapphire. Will drill any stone under 10
hardness. Drill hearts, beads and pen-
dants, mount ornaments on stones.
NO TUBES — NO PASTE
The Diamond Point Drill can be used in
any tube drilling machine. Do in 5 min-
utes what used to take you 40. Save
time. Save money. Easy to use.
FULLY GUARANTEED
Instructions with Each Drill
3 64" Dia. 3/32 Shank $7.50
1/16" Dia. 3/32 Shank 8.50
Prompt Delivery — Postpaid
Other Sizes and Prices on Request.
E. H. SHUMAKER
463S Maiden Ave. Chicago 40, 111,
Prospecting Experiences — Desert Lore
How to pan gold. Combine your rock hobby
with prospecting. "Gold In Placer" a new
book, 1G0 pages of instructions for the begin-
ner prospector. The book and three large blue-
prints on smalt concentrators you can build
S3. 01). Sent C.O.D. if requested. Free litera-
ture. Old Prospector, Box 21S73, Dutch Flat,
California.
CHOICE DESERT SPECIMENS . . .
The fine specimens advertised below come
from our Calcito Mines which arc described in
the August issue of the Mineralogist and the
Desert MagBBine.
CALCITE in superb crystal groups.
2x2 in— $2.00 to 4xS in.— $7.S0
CLEAR CALCITE RHOMBS (Iceland Spar) —
Fluoresces a beautiful red under the Mln-
cralight. 35c to $1.00 according to size
and quality.
SPECIAL— Optical Basal Plates from which
the secret gun sights were made. Never be-
fore advertised. These fluoresce a nice red.
2x2 in. — $1.00 to 5x7 in. — $12.00.
ALSO — Mixed Mojave desert cutting mate-
rial: Agates, Jaspers — 5 pounds $2.50.
HOLLOW GEODES — Chocolate mountains.
Sparkling Quarts Xls and beautiful Daloite
XI s interior. 50c to $4.00.
SATISFACTION GUARANTEED
Please Include Postage with Remittance
FBOST <5, DYE MINING COMPANY
59 E. Hoffer Street Banning, California
42
THE DESERT MAGAZINE
R. J. Harris, chief engineer, gave an inter-
esting demonstration and talk on chemically
treated wood and metal at November meeting
of Orange Belt mineralngical society held in
San Bernardino junior college. Plans were made
for a field trip to Barstow district November
10. Jay Wilson of Corona reported on a 6000
mile journey in the east that he and Mrs.
Wilson recently completed.
Slice of California
NICE GEM QUALITY
PALM ROOT
Black and grey with white and
black eyes. Some blue eyes.
From a new field that is not picked
so you get tops in material. Solid
dense agate with no vugs or
cracks.
Beautiful Sets, high lustre.
12 square inches oi sawed material
$2.50 Postpaid
Rough any sized pieces at
$2.00 per pound, postpaid.
BROWN'S ATELIER
Box 1134 Las Vegas, Nevada
"MARVIN" — creator of distinctive handi-
crafled jewelry — native gems in sterling
silver— made to order — wholesale — re-
tail — also rare Colorado minerals.
MARVIN'S ROCK SHOP
Durango Colorado
A BEAUTIFUL. ASSORTMENT at mineral
aiiecimeTaft of colur, of interest and of glitter*
GathiTvil from th« far flunK corners of the
Rockies, for you anil for your cabinet by
JACK THE ROCKHOUND
Write for Price List
P. O. Box 86 Carhondale, Colo,
GEMS . . .
Beautiful gems cut and polished, ready to
mount or add to your collection . . .
AMETHYST, deeji purple, fanet cut ovals,
about Va carat at $1.50
PERIDOT, litfht jrreen, facet cut rounds,
about ¥d carat at $4.00
TOURMALINE, pink, facet cut, rounds or
uvals, carat at $1.50
TIGER EYE, red. ovals. lOxfi Mm.
eahochon at 60
SAPPHIRE, blue, cabochons. (small rounds
or ovals) at 60
MOSS AGATE, tiro™, cabin- 1) oils.
6 Mm. rounds at 35
AMAZON IT E, cabochons.
6 Mm. rounds at 35
Order in pairs for ear-rinKs. All prices include
luxury tax. Calif, residents please add 2^%
state sales tax. No orders less than $£.00
please.
KRUEGERS LAPIDARIES
(Mail Orders Only)
106 W. 3rd St., Dept. C. Los Ang.les 13, Calif.
Oi a Rockhound
By LOUISE EATON
It's sort uv amuzin' to hear folkes say
that th' desert is new an' raw country. It
may be stark an' uncumpromizin', but
not new. Defnitely not. It is literally
older than th" hills. Sum rox on th' desert
has bin there 25,000,000 years an' sum
250 millun. It takes eons CO produce pet-
rified tempska fern or palm or evun a
limonite soodomorf after pyrite — let
alone to weather th' latter outta th'
mother rok. Also probally considerable
time elapsed while weather condishuns
changed frum what it took to grow tree
fernz to what th' desert has now. It's only
people what are new.
• a a
Too bad there has to be rok hogs
duttcrin' up field trip territory. True
rockhouns cleans up their camp sites
by burnin papers an' berryin tin cans.
Furthermor, rockhouns doesn't wantonly
destroy speciments. An' they takes home
only as mutch as a self respecktin burro
could lug — not truckloads uv material
they doesn't particularly want. Rock-
houns is Sumtimz tempted to be ham-
merhouns, bur NEVER rockhogs.
R, S, Grube,- president of San Jose lapidary
society, spoke on mineral collecting field trips
near at hand at November 12 meeting of Mon-
terey Bay mineral society. Honorary member-
ship cards were presented to Roy Hohberger
for his sponsorship, and to R, S, Grube in ap-
preciation of effort and time spent in behalf of
the society. The constitution was discussed and
adopted. William M, Farr was elected treasurer;
K. W. Taylor, R. L. Day and H. M. Samuel son.
directors. Three new members joined the fust
growing group.
* * *
Lloyd Richardson, expresident of Imperial
Valley gem and mineral society, Chuck Holtzer
and [ra Huffman, while scouting eastern Imper-
ial county for locations for future field trips, re-
port the discovery of real bloodstones. The
material seems to be of a good green color,
liberally speckled with small red spots,
a a a
Mr, and Mrs. M. t. O Bleness of Fox City
Geode Trails, Kahoka, Missouri, spent Armis-
tice holiday looking over the interesting collec-
tion of Mr. and Mrs. J. E. Speck, Red Bud
Ranch, Warsaw, Missouri, former residents of
Phoenix, Arizona. They have some 3000 m/m
and t/n, mostlv from desert localities of Ari-
zona and California.
* a a
Preliminary plans for a public gem and min-
eral show were discussed at November meeting
of Desert Gem and Mineral society, Wythe.
Show is to be held early in 1946, date to be
announced in next issue of Desert. Guy Emery
spoke on materials collected on his recent trip
to Montana. Dale Braman exhibited specimens
he recently traded with a rockhound in Johan-
nesburg.
a a a
During November Yavapai Gem and Mineral
society, Prescott, Arizona, took a field trip to
the onyx mines near Mayer. At one time this
onyx was mined to manufacture spheres for
gear shift handles, but when expense became too
(peat project was abandoned. Mines contain
beautiful yellow, brown and banded onyx, ac-
cording to Ida Smith, club secretary.
At November meeting of Sacramento mineral
society, Member Doyle Rishel talked on Dcsen
Chalcedony, mineral of the month, exhibiting
beautiful cabochons from his extensive collec-
tion. Member R. J. MacClanahan demonstrated
art of facet cutting, exhibiting some of his
excellent specimens.
TURQUOISE & CHRYSOCOLLA
JEWELRY
(Wholesale Exclusively)
HAROLD D. MARYOTT
40 Oak St. Kt. I
Miami, Arizona
Before you buy any lapidary equipment-
NEW CATALOG
THE NEW COMPACT 3V
LAPIDARY UNIT
it <fa€4 ewuft&CHj /
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exclusive features found
in no other machines. More than 1000 in use. Stand
as A Unit, 'ifSfi.OO f.o.b. factory (l«s molar and stand).
Price inclutfe:, diamond taw, grinding whecTi, sanding
wheels, polishing buff and everything necessary ta
moke caber: hom and tptxrimcni up to capacity ef the
L 6" sow. Saws up to 1 0" can be used en ihii machine.
AVAELAIUE
WITHOUT PRIORITY
.FACETING ATTACHMENT 1
• A FINE precisian tael thai
g really simplifies the cul-
ting of uny faceted gem.
Can be used with any huri-
lonial lap thru the use ef
a simple adnplar socket*
$7S f.a.b, factory. Adaptor
socket, St, 50. No priority.
Model H-iet/
DIAMOND SAW UNIT
• HANDLES from
a 10" lo 16" blade* Safe
clamp hold quickly adjusted
to any site itene. CroH food
permits several parallel cull
without reclartping (lane.
Internal Pressure grease lu-
brication . . . adjustable ail
sump. Splash proof, yet
work is visible at all limes.
$74.00 f.O,b, factory lets.*
blade and motor*
WE PAY POSTAGE A
¥
PSEClBON MACHINE MiHC
* USERS .ay our HltqulU
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ORDER JpOA^FSOM
20S0 WESTIAKE
JANUARY, 1946
43
Highland Park Lapidary Supply
1009 Mission St.. South Pasadena, Calif.
1 in. ARBOR 31 in. LONG
2 3x8 DRUM SANDEBS
Write for our Catalogue
Sterling Silver
Mountings
We can now mount your Cabo-
chon Stones in Beautiful Sterling
Silver Hand Made Mountings Spe-
cially Designed for your stones.
— WORKMAN SHIP OF THE BEST —
Ladies' or Men's Rings
Brooches with safety locks
Bracelets (one stone)
$ 6.50
.. 7.50
12.00
Bracelets with rings to match , 16.00
Earrings _ 8.00
These prices plus Federal excise tax
ELLIOTT GEM SHOP
26 Jergins Arcade
LONG BEACH 2, CALIFORNIA
Stones of Rare Quality
Aquamarines— 10x8, 12x10, 16x12 ra/m
and larger sizes, $2.00 per carat, also
round cuts.
Ceylon Sapphires — Blue, Golden $2.00
per carat.
Ceylon Red Garnets — $5. DO per dozen.
Ceylon Hessonite Garnets — $1.00 per
carat.
Brilliant Cut Sapphires — $5.00 per carat.
Carved Sapphires and Rubies— $3,00 per
carat.
100 Canred Obsidians— $40.0D.
Ceylon Zircons — $1.00 per carat.
Rare Chrysocolla— $10.00 per 100 carat
lot.
Moonstones! — $35.00 per 100 carat.
Rare Green Garnets — $5.00 per carat.
Moss Agates — $6.00 to $12.00 per dozen.
Rare Cameos of all kinds.
Optical Prisms — \% inch, $1,50 each.
Many Other Gems at 25c to $5.00 each.
Ask for My Approval Selection
ERNEST MEIER
Church Street Annex P. O. Box 302
NEW YORK 8. N. Y.
Travelers driving from Las Vegas to Reno,
Nevada, will see the gem and mineral display of
W. Dart. Goldfield mineralogist. He recently
moved his collection from the Hurry Back hotel
out to a new location facing Highway 95, where
he invites Desert readers to inspect his "ten
tons" of material, including opals, turquoise,
chrysocolla, jaspers, agates, woods, silver, gold,
copper, lead, zinc, tungsten ores. He reports he
has about 400 kinds of minerals in his rock
gardens.
Mineralogical Society of Arizona, Phoenix,
was all set to celebrate tenth anniversary De-
cember 5, with a big party, special program,
eats and an exchange of gifts.
Despite strict censorship, news has trickled
out of Soviet Russia, during the past three
years, of the discovery of 19 new diamond
deposits, mostly on the eastern slopes of the
Ural mountains, in Siberia. This is particularly
interesting to the mineralogist, as this same dis-
trict is the original home of many fine gem
stones, such as the alexandrite, various other
forms of chrysoberyl, and sparkling, emerald
green demantoid garnets.
Dr. K;uire Minister Strom, president of the
Geological Society of Norway, has sent a com-
munication to the Geological Society of America
that arrangements now are being made for a
geological research expedition into the moun-
tainous areas of central Norway to study the
records left there by the remnants of the last
great ice age glacier. Under the leadership of
Dr. Strom, the party will remain in the field
from June 25 to July 5. Two or three American
geologists will be included in the party, in spite
of the fact that numbers will have to be limited
because of lack of proper shelter and other
supplies in the rough mountain country.
TRUE OR FALSE ANSWERS
Questions are an page 12.
1— False. The coyote eats desert rodents
and lizards, and will even raid a
camper's meat supply.
2 — False. The chuckawalla is harmless.
3 — -True.
4 — False. The saguaro stores its water
mainly in its fluted trunk.
5— True.
6— True.
7 — True.
8 — False. Ocotillo will put on a new
coat of leaves after a heavy rain at
any time of the year.
9 — False. The wife's children or her
family inherit the sheep.
It)— False. Billy the Kid operated in
New Mexico.
11 — False. The Wasatch mountains are
in northern Utah.
12— True.
1 3— True.
14 — False. Chains only serve to bury the
car deeper in the sand.
15 — False. Iceland spar is a calcite crys-
tal.
16 — True.
1 7 — True.
1 8— True.
19— True.
20 — False. Mojave river empties into a
series of dry lakes.
Dr. John J. Grebe and Dr. William C. Bau-
man, two chemists employed by the Dow chemi-
cal company of Midland, Michigan, have just
assigned their rights in patent number 2,387,898
to their employers. This patent covers a new
method for extracting magnesium more effici-
ently, and thus more cheaply from sea water.
The principle involved has long been in use in
water softening systems, where some base ex-
change agent, such as sodium aluminum silicate
separates the undesired minerals from the solu-
tion. The Grebe-Bauman method uses a similar
base exchange agent in extracting the much
wanted magnesium.
John Slack, editor-publisher of the Silver
Belt, was speaker at November 8 meeting of
Gila mineral society, Miami, Arizona. He dis-
cussed and displayed specimens from various
sections of the world.
WML
WATCH FOR AD
ON NEW
MACHINE
NEXT
MONTH
W. A FFLKER 1143Poj|Avp. Torranr<\ GillfoinU
MINERALIGHT
DETECTS URANIUM
"The AVAHfhEe meihnd., for ilv-ieciing.
in , in Him lacked one or i e of the I-
jircd tllprMlcmrki. Eventually, however,
a method w« waffced oui ihm if prob-
abl And i- tfaaio die
I. ..I I Eju.nl u ■■ ■ ■- i- in- !■ ..-I. l-f U. I.
>.i ii a: uranium i - mosr susrcpiiHt to
.tfn'xn-wjve iillri-violcl lijchl, the fwnlp
uieLj in ih'ri wort wji ilie MlNhR-
A LIGHT Y-il , , . which aula ,hmt-
Wjive uUra-Yiolic ray-, si 2,W'
Copiri of the full repon, "Fluoraccnre Ten
for Uranium." are AVjifohJc from the Hurrau
ot Mint*. Office of Mtott] Rejxirn, WjiIi-
ULTRA-VIOLET PRODUCTS, INC.
CUT STOKES
from de Marrionne and Charles
PALE CABOCHON EMERALDS.
from 5 to 27 caratB $2.00 per carat
MEXICAN FIRE OPALS,
four stone selection, approx. 5 carats, $2. 60
ORIENTAL MOONSTONES.
1 to 2it curata. 15c per carat
STAR SAPPHIRES,
from 2 '« to 8 carats, $2.50 per carat
FACETED ORIENTAL RUBIES,
approx. 1/5 carat. $1.50 each
SQUARE CUT CITRINE QUARTZ.
2 to 5 caratB, imperfect, 40c per carat
Flawless $1.00 per carat
We cannot guarantee perfect matchlngs.
All merchandise is guaranteed to be as rep-
resented and may be returned within 10 days
if not satisfactory. Please include 20% Fed-
eral Tax with your remittance. Residents of
California add 2 % % State Sales Tax.
DE MARRIONNE AND CHARLES
430 N. La Cienega Blvd. CRestview 6-7S31
La* Angeles 36, California
44
THE DESERT MAGAZINE
AMATEUR GEM CUTTER
This page of Desert Magazine
is for those who have, or aspire
to have, their own gem cutting
and polishing equipment. Lelande Quick, who conducts this department, is former presi-
dent of Los Angeles Lapidary society. He will be glad to answer questions in connection
with your lapidary work. Queries should be addressed to Desert Magazine, El Centro, Calif.
By LELANDE QUICK
It is Christmas again but this time truly •
blessed Christmas when the terms "Prince of
Peace" and "Peace on Earth, Goodwill Toward
Men" are not empty phrases. I have just returned
from an extensive trip over half of America
and although travel conditions are worse than
they were during the conflict these was one
very great satisfaction about it all and that was
that the hosts of servicemen encountered were
not going off to battle; they were coming home.
This should be the happiest Christmas in many
a moon.
It should be the happiest Christmas cer-
tainly for the growing world of amateur gem
■cutters to whom these pages belong. For at
last freedom has been restored to come and go.
Machinery for all phases of gem cutting can
be freely obtained. Long deferred plans for as-
sembling shops can proceed. The ill winds of
war have blown much good our way for new
developments have occurred that have resulted
in much labor-saving machinery. The new dia-
mond saw blades developed by industry will
give five to ten times the length of service of
the best blades obtainable before the war. And
then during the past five years a whole library
of material about gem grinding and polishing
has appeared so that it is easy for interested
people to obtain adequate printed information.
The next step in helping people establish
themselves in the rediscovered lapidary an is
to provide organizations for the systematic ed-
ucation and guidance of those people. The Los
Angeles Lapidary society, first such organiza-
tion to be devoted exclusively to the lapidary art,
is now almost six years old. Since its birth there
have been about a dozen similar societies estab-
lished, all of them in the West. Now Chicago
has accomplished a long contemplated society in
the Chicago Lapidary Craftsmen. Anyone in that
area who is interested in learning about gem
cutting is welcome to attend their meetings ai
Austin Town Hall, Lake and Central avenues.
Meetings are held at 8:30 p.m. on the first Tues-
day of each month. The San Jose Lapidary so-
ciety, now nearly a year old, has made great
strides and is now planning its first show. Visi-
tors also are welcome at their meetings (held on
the first Tuesday) at the De Anza Hotel, San
Jose, California. If secretaries of existing gem
and lapidary societies will inform me by postal
of their meeting time and place 1 will soon pub-
lish a list of all the organizations.
In every community there seems to be some-
one following lapidary procedure seriously as
an art form or semi-seriously as a hobby. In-
quiry among friends would probably develop
the fact that there were a sufficient number of
interested people to organize a local society for
learning the craft. If there are such groups any-
where I shall be happy to supply them with a
copy of the Constitution and By-Laws and sam-
ple Bulletins and Shop Notes of the Los Angeles
society as a guidance in helping them organize.
Some time ago I announced that I would help
organize societies in the Glendale and Beverly
Hills areas of Los Angeles county and about 70
persons wrote to me expressing a desire to
become members. 1 still have these names and I
intend holding organization meetings about Feb-
ruary 1. Therefore if other readers in those
areas are interested and will send me their
names and addresses I will see that they are no-
tified of these meetings at the time.
• * *
With further reftrertce to viewing fluorescent
displays (Desert Magazine for October) Wil-
liam Pitts, honorary curator of gem minerals at
the California Academy of Sciences at San Fran-
cisco, sends me details of his museum's solu-
tion to this difficulty. Pitts doesn't label his
specimens at all except with a fluorescent num-
ber. Interested people can then identify the
specimen by consulting a numbered list outside
the case. The museum's new exhibit is mounted
on a revolving table making 2 r.p.m. The case
has a partition in the center with a white light
on one side and a black light on the other so
that the specimens move from the black to the
white area instead of having the lights change.
This arrangement greatly increases the life of
the lights as they are not constantly being
switched on and off. It would seem to be an
ideal solution.
A few weeks ago I viewed the fluorescent
exhibit in the San Antonio, Texas, museum and
I realized for the first time how annoying it is
not to be able to identify the specimens readily
although I suppose 90 per cent of the public
would know no more, or enjoy the exhibit any
more, if they did know the mineral names. One
great fault, that should be corrected, is that
museum exhibits usually contain no polished
specimens and the polished surface fluoresces
beautifully. Another great fault is that in ex-
cluding light most exhibits also exclude air so
that fluorescent rooms are uninvitingly stuffy, I
possess one fond memory of the San Antonio
museum that always will rate it near the top
with me. As you observe the minerals, snakes
and Indian baskets you hear the tinkling of a
harp as it is beautifully and competently played
by an old Mexican who, sits obscurely in a corner
adding delightful color to the place. How long
has it been since you heard a harp?
# # •
Many of the advertisements appearing in the
magazines are listing prices that seem very high
indeed. When material is advertised at several
dollars for a square inch cabochon blank that
will ultimately yield a small finished cabochon
it becomes apparent that the price per carat com-
pares with some finished faceted gemstones. In
addition to the cost there is the risk and time
element in turning out a finished product. When
preform cabochon blanks sell for more than 50
cents each or uncut material sells for more than
25 cents an ounce it should be very fine indeed.
I refer to chalcedonies, woods, etc. and not to
good gemstones like chrysocolla, turquoise, var-
iscite, tiger eye, etc., all of which are becoming
increasingly scarce for good specimens. These
latter items are good investments at today's
prices just as the opals offered five years ago
are worth easily five times as much today.
Experienced collectors seldom are fooled but
many inexperienced collectors have no doubt
foolishly paid 50 cents an inch for recently ad-
vertised obsidian. On the other hand the col-
umns appear to carry many more real values
than they do inflated values. As with all busi-
nesses new firms should be accepted with cau-
tion until they have established the enviable
reputations of the firms established long before
the war. I would be interested of course in hear-
ing of any gross inadequacies.
* m m
DID YOU KNOW . . .
• Cairngorm is smoky quartz,
• Yellow quartz is citrine. It is sold as "golden
topaz" but reputable dealers term it "yel-
low quartz topaz."
• Peridot is green quartz and amethyst is pur-
ple quartz.
• A carbuncle is a garnet cabochon.
Felker Di-Met
Rimlock
Diamond Blades
Available lor Immediate Delivery
6 in $ 4.60 14 in $14.80
8 in 6.65 16 in. 16.85
10 in 8.70 20 in 22.95
12 in. 10.75 24 in,. .... . 29.60
Our Mr. John Grieger is now home from
the army. Additional help has been em-
ployed so that we can promptly fill all
mail and phone orders. Open all day
long so drop in and look over many new
items now in stock. Items now available
for immediate delivery include:
B. & I. Gem Makers and Facetors.
" Com p! e a 1" api dar y Machines.
Bausch end Lomb Magnifiers .
Sterling Silver Sheet and Wire, Gold and
Silver Bails, Sister Hooks, lump Rings.
Joint Wire, Chain by the loot. Complete
Neck Chains, Ear Wires, and many hard
to get jewelry findings. Also Ring Mount-
ings, Brooch and Pendant Mountings.
GOLD FILLED
PENDANT MOUNTINGS
7/8 in.— S1.00 lin.-^1.2S 1% in. — SI. 50
SAME IN STERLING
1 1/8 in. and 1 3/8 in. in diameter— S1.50
each. Add 20% Federal Tax. Send lor
bulletins of other designs.
SPECIAL NOTICE: Whole or sawed
boules ol American made synthetic gems
now available. We have Ruby, Spinel
and Sapphire.
Cutter's Victory Collection — 4 lbs, of fine
quality petrified woods, jaspers, and fine
cuttable materials for only SI, 25 and
postage on 5 lbs.
GRINDING WHEELS OF ALL SIZES,
SANDING DRUMS, POLISHING BUFFS,
ABRASIVES, AND POLISHING POW-
DERS OF ALL TYPES ARE ALWAYS IN
STOCK.
STEEL RING MANDRELS with sizes en-
graved — $3,75 plus 2 lbs, postage.
WARDER & GRIEGER
405 Ninita Parkway
PASADENA 4. CALIFORNIA
JANUARY, 1946
45
Qu5t between l/ou and Ate
* 4f#V 4
By RANDALL HENDERSON
r HANKS to the cooperation of Scout Executive Carl
Helmick of Riverside county, California, and the Scout-
masters in his district, plans are in progress for some of
the Scout troops to assume the role of sponsors for certain of
the desert's palm oases.
Many of these oases are on public lands — which means that
no one locally has any responsibility for their care and protec-
tion. But one of these days, if you visit Pushawalla canyon in
the Indio hills — described in the October issue of Desert Maga-
zine — you will he confronted with this inscription:
REMEMBER, VISITOR!
Nature spent 1 50 years building this beautiful spot . . . It
could be spoiled or completely destroyed in as many
minutes.
BUILD FIRES ONLY IN DESIGNATED PLACES!
(Signed) — Boy Scouts of Troop 50, Caretakers
Boy Scout Troop 50 of Indio has volunteered to become unof-
ficial custodian of Pushawalla palm oasis. Under Scoutmaster
W. T. Freeman the boys plan to clean out the dead fronds and
dry brush that litters the floor of the canyon. Full-skirted Wash-
ingtonia palms are highly inflammable and this is one of the
most important jobs to be done for the protection of these trees.
The boys also have plans for rock work at the springs to provide
better and more accessible water for visitors, and for the wildlife
of this area.
Other Scout troops have indicated their willingness to become
caretakers for other palm fringed springs in the desert country.
It is the hope of those sponsoring this program that many of
the desert's scenic waterholes, long neglected by county and
federal authorities, at last have found competent and friendly
hands to protect them against the careless and sometimes vicious
destruction of under-educated human beings.
# * *
Aries Adams and I went out over the old Butterfield stage
road last weekend — and became hopelessly mired in the sand.
Well, it wasn't quite hopeless, but we spent a lot more time
getting out than should be necessary for a couple of desert
drivers with a big-tired jalopy.
But the experience wasn't a total loss. We settled a long-
standing argument as to the best tools for getting a car out of the
sand. Generally we carry a pair of old Model T steel running
boards for such an emergency. We just gouge out the sand in
front of the rear wheels, lay in the Model T boards, and roll out
of trouble.
But on this trip we were equipped with a couple of rolls
of discarded belting. It was 15-inch belting, heavy and substan-
tial. Some of our friends have been telling us this is the perfect
getter-outer for sand trouble. But Aries and I are going back
to the Mode! T boards — at least until we find a better tool. The
belting was cumbersome to handle, and the wheels kicked the
belting out behind the car as fast as we put it under them.
For a mild case of stuck-in-the-sand the belting may be all
right. But when a car is down to the axle the wheels need more-
substantial footing. Oh, we jacked 'er up and built a foundation
under the wheels after fussing around with that belting for an
hour. But wc are going back to the running boards next time.
jb jC ji
A movement has been in progress for some time to have scenic
Palm canyon near Palm Springs set aside as a national monu-
ment. Most serious obstacle is the fact that the most accessible
part of the canyon is within the reservation of one of the Cahuilla
tribes. The Indians derive considerable income from an admis-
sion charge to visitors.
All of which is entirely legitimate. The Indians learned that
kind of enterprise from the white men. But unfortunately, while
the Cahuillas learned to collect admissions at the gate, no one
seems to have explained to them that when they set up a public
service enterprise of this type they also assume an obligation to
the public which pays the fare.
The Indians have failed in this obligation in two respects:
They unlock the gate only when it suits their fancy — which
makes it highly inconvenient for visitors who sometimes travel
long distances to visit this gorgeous canyon. And they have so
far failed to take adequate measures to protect the palm forest
against fire hazards which increase in direct ratio to admissions.
Under an antiquated theory of "free enterprise" to which
some of our citizens still cling, the Indians have every right to
fence off that canyon and use it for a cattle range if they wish. A
more enlightened viewpoint is that since Nature spent millions
of years creating the beauty in this canyon, there is an obligation
on the pari of its custodians to regard il as a heritage of mankind,
to be preserved for the benefit of present and future generations
of Americans. Assuming the latter view, if the Indians will pro-
vide proper protection and management, that is fine. If not, then
they should be amply compensated for their property and the
title turned back to the public— which includes the Indians — for
administration by the National Park service. We know the park
rangers will do the job properly.
* * *
John C. Van Dyke wrote of the desert:
"It is a gaunt land of splintered peaks, torn valleys, and hot
skies. And at every step there is the suggestion of the fierce,
the defiant, the defensive. Everything within its borders seems
fighting to maintain itself against destroying forces. There is a
war of elements and a struggle for existence going on here that
for ferocity is unparalleled elsewhere in Nature . . .
"It is stern, harsh and at first repellent. But what tongue-
shall tell the majesty of it, the eternal strength of it, the poetry
of its wide-spread chaos, the sublimity of its lonely desolation!
And who shall paint the splendor of its light; and from the
rising up of the sun to the going down of the moon over the
iron mountains, the glory of its wondrous coloring!"
And that, probably, is as close as man will ever come to ex-
pressing in words this strange paradox which is the desert. After
all, what each of us sees in the desert is a reflection of something
within ourselves. And that is equally true of every environment
in which we may find ourselves. In a targe measure, humans
create their own beauty, and their own ugliness, in this world.
I wish that our educational system gave greater emphasis to this
simple truism.
46
THE DESERT MAGAZINE
From painting by Clyde Forsythe. Courtesy Billmore Salon, Los Angeles.
<7<4e jbeiesit (led
By Hakky e. Wilder
Over the ridge from the played-out mine
Where the juniper grows with the pinon pine,
Winding on in the silence dead
Down slopes of yucca and nigger-head.
Crossing the mesa wild and free,
Land of cactus and Joshua tree,
Through the mesquite to the alkali flat
Runs the trail of the desert rat.
Punching his jacks through the shifting sand.
Part and parcel of No-Man's-Land.
The sort to die in the last grim ditch
For a gambler's chance to "strike it rich,"
Tanned and gaunt and grizzled and gray,
He has walked the desert and learned its way;
Chill of winter and summer's heat,
Hope deferred and weary feet
Are written under his old slouch hat
When you look in the eyes of the desert rat.
The false mirage that lures him on,
Forever beckons and then is gone,
Till to his troubled brain it seems
Symbolic of Life's hopes and dreams.
For sand-storm's blast and maddening thirst
And poisoned waters that God has cursed,
And the lonely years have taken toll
And left a scar on the wanderer's soul!
But he knows the marvel of desert dawn,
When the stars grow dim and the day is born —
A flush in the east, a breeze from the hills,
A rosy glow that spreads and tills
I Ik- saw-winli peaks [ill they mi Ir ... .»■<
At the magic touch of the rising sun !
His to see the noon sun's glint
On lofty cliffs of wondrous tint,
Where green and yellow and purple blend
Till the canyon wall seems the rainbow's end.
He- has felt the awe of the desert night's
Fantastic shadows and ghostly lights;
To him by the greasewood's waning blaze
Have come the faces of other days.
To vanish at the coyote's howl,
Or the mournful cry of the Cuckoo owl.
From youth to age he has tramped the trail
From the peaks that win to the sinks that fail;
Though he takes his gold to the haunts of men,
Yet the Desert knows he will come again,
And will "hit the trail" till he wanders Home
And lays his bones where he loved to roam.
DESERT NIGHTS
By Cora C. Williams
Alamosa, Colorado
Moonlight drips from the Joshua trees,
And pours over white-hot sand ;
It stabs my heart with the mysteries
That I cannot understand.
Imagination leads me afar,
I see strange shapes and shades,
A cactus bloom is a samovar
That a passing cloudlet fades.
A lonely rock is a castle tall.
With turrets high and wide,
A sagebrush is a dancer small,
With goblins hy her side.
There's enchantment in a desert night.
And romance 'neath the moon.
That fills me with a sweet delight
Like a haunting, witching tune.
CREED OF THE DESERT
By June LeMERT Paxton
Yucca Valley, California
Gypsy-like breeze, spring dancing breeze.
That ripples the sanddunes and sings
through the trees.
That sings in the valley and wanders
ii way—
v-like
every day !
JANUARY, 1946
47
6J50 S Norira*i4te Av
Los Ar.-eles, Calif
U
rl 3
VALERIE JEAN DATE SHOP
Thermal, California
CALIFORNIA PATES
IN SYRUP WITH NEUTRAL
DATE BRANDY
Pitted Deglet Noor dates. Delicious with
meats, salads, on grapefruit, ice cream
or to eat as they axe.
lbs. net, delivered
$825
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